


Gardenoir

by JDLouis



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types
Genre: Action/Adventure, Awkward Romance, Detective Noir, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-12
Updated: 2021-02-13
Packaged: 2021-03-11 05:27:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 24,351
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28030008
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JDLouis/pseuds/JDLouis
Summary: Trying to find out if someone is lying or not is the core essence of detective work, a fact Nic, and his Gardevoir partner Willow are all too familiar with. Willow's powerful psychic capabilities that allow her to read not only emotions, but intentions as well, mean that there is not much that can escape her sight. To her, all people are books waiting to be read, all they need is a push in the right direction. With emotional manipulation as the strongest tool at her disposal, she has been able to crack people that for years have been adamant in their conviction to say nothing at all.Everyone, except for Nic, who, much to her frustration, eludes her wit yet still. Such a dynamic between them leads to misadventures aplenty, more often than not at the expense of Willow's patience and sanity. Yet she still can't help but to stay by his side, as the worst nightmares humanity has to offer for the eyes of a detective are better weathered with a good friend, after all.So remember, next time you're in Unova, if trouble lingers, or if the will of a stubborn criminal needs to be broken, there's only one man to call.
Kudos: 4





	1. Boys Will be Boys

**Author's Note:**

> Good morning and I hope my story that I am sharing with you today finds you well. This is a new project I've picked up in the last week as a request that has turned into a full blown story. I intend to update this on a semi-regular basis until I reach what I feel is a good ending point for either this arc, or the story as a whole. I still have my primary project I've been working on since June that I am going to try and start publishing some time in January, so keep your eyes peeled! With my final exams around the corner, my progress on both of these stories will probably grind down to a crawl until after they are done, at which point I'm on full steam ahead for my creative work. But enough about me, you came here for a story! So without further adieu, I give you: Gardenoir.

Stubborn. Agitated. I’ve seen the likes of him many times before. A hard exterior means nothing if it’s made with glass. In that assessment, all police officers are the same, so it’s no surprise that the police chief isn’t any different than those under him.

“Messy little brat, huh?” Nic piped up, noting the kid’s disheveled clothing and dirty exterior that made it seem like he hadn’t showered in days.

“Yeah, for sure. Lives on the western end of town. I know his father, and I’m not at all surprised to see him here as well.”

“Runs in the family?”

“It would seem so...” The police chief sighed, shaking his head.

“How long have you had him?”

“About two hours or so.”

“Why doesn’t he want to talk?”

“Hell if I know. Won’t open his damn mouth for anything, the little punk. Didn’t even ask for a lawyer.”

“And I assume that’s where we come in?”

“Precisely. I want to know what this little turd is hiding.”

“Don’t worry chief.” Nic began, patting police chief Castillo on the back, “We’ll get him to talk.”

“I have no doubts you will.” He responded with a devilish grin. 

My attention drifted away from their conversation and towards the boy who sat handcuffed in that room behind the one-way mirror. Fidgety. Agitated. Lonely. No older than 16. Doesn’t have many friends. Dislikes society, or his family, and how he’s been treated. I would be lying if I said I didn’t at least feel a bit sorry for him. However, kids such as these need a bit of tough love. Sometimes it’s more love, sometimes it’s more tough, but that decision is never mine to make.

“I’ve heard my fellow associates’ praises of you, Nic. I’m interested to see how you do it. First hand.”

“I assure you, it won’t be me doing the convincing with this one.” Patting my head and lightly bringing his fingers down across my ear spikes, Nic produced his ridiculous flat cap hat from within his jacket, placing and adjusting it on his head.

“Is the hat part of your spiel, or is it just for show?” The police chief chuckled, crossing his arms.

“Yes and no.” He began, smirking at the chief, “You gotta look the part, otherwise it won’t work.”

He offered no response except for an outburst of laughter, shaking of his head at the whole affair. Such a response has come to be expected, but never enough to bring him down. When you’ve seen the worst the world has to offer, a few silly laughs at your expense are hardly worth your notice. Chief Castillo sat himself down in one of the observing chairs, preparing himself for the coming show. Accompanied by another officer, they began chatting with each other as Nic turned his kind gaze upon me.

“Ready?” He asked with a smile.

“ _As I’ll ever be._ ” I nodded, replying psychically into his mind.

“Good, let’s see what we can get out of this little brat.”

A young officer at the door opened it up and followed behind us out into the hallway, where he unlocked the large door to the interrogation room for us.

“Rooms all yours.” He stated, taking post outside the door.

“Perfect.” Nic responded kindly, “So, what you got this time?”

“ _Tough love._ ”

“Again?” He asked, surprised and slightly offended, “Don’t you ever get tired of that?”

“ _Hey, it’s not my fault everyone in this town has daddy issues!_ ” I pouted.

"I suppose not.” He agreed with a friendly chuckle, spending a few short moments adjusting his jacket and making sure all of his attire was not only proper, but clean as well. For whatever reason he always had to make sure he looked his best before questioning. He claims it’s for intimidation, but I’m not entirely convinced he isn’t just trying to show off.

“How do I look?”

Reluctantly, I gave him a look over, down from the tips of his shoes all the way up to his silly grin and stupid hat. As much as I always hated to admit it to myself, he did look the part, and not half bad either.

“ _Ridiculous._ ”

“So all is as it should be.”

His grin growing wider, he walked to the door and heaved the metal door open with moderate effort, motioning for me to enter.

“Ladies first.”

Eager and yearning, the eyes of the young boy looked me up and down as if I was some model parading myself on a walkway. Carrying myself gracefully, I slowly made my way towards him, stopping and standing at his side. Confusion. Surprise. Even a little bit of jealousy inched its way in when Nic got himself situated in the chair across the table from him.

“Good afternoon Mr. Wagner, my name is detective Nic, spelled N-I-C. It is my understanding that you are currently being detained for stealing a statue from the Driftveil Gym. Is that correct?”

Silence. His outward visage portrayed a kid confident beyond his years, but his mind was plagued with doubt. His heart rate picked up ever so slightly as the seconds ticked by with both of us staring at him. Nervousness began to course through his veins as the silence between the three of us carried on for a solid minute.

“Listen. I just need to know where it is. I’m not here to make enemies.” Nic stated plainly.

Stalwart in his stubbornness, the young boy refused to say a word.

_So it’s hard ball then._

Usually, I don’t have to get touchy-feely until further into the investigation, but this one will require a bit more... coercion than normal. Lightly, I began to run my fingers through his long oily black hair, which caused him to immediately sit up straight and look awkwardly up towards me. Surprise. Uncertainty. His heart began racing and his mind quickly shifted from one of stubborn anger, to angsty confusion. Struggling awkwardly to try and escape my hand, I psychically tugged ever so slightly on the cuffs around his wrists that subdued him, keeping him well within my reach.

“Don’t mind my partner there, she’s just here to tell if you’re lying or not, that’s all. And by the looks of it, it seems she’s taken a liking to you.” Nic noted slyly with a wink. Unnerved. Doubt. Blood began to rush to his face as his angst filled confusion quickly turned into longing.

“Now, I’ll let you in on a little secret okay?”

Slowly, I moved my hand down to his flushed cheeks, caressing them softly. His heart began to race faster and his mind began to buzz. Penchant.

“The misses here don’t usually like too many people.”

I kneeled down, bringing my face to the same level of his. Sweat began to run into his palms as he tried with all his being to not look me in the eyes. Nervous. Angsty.

“So the fact that she’s taken a liking to you is quite telling.”

I brought my hand down to his chin and slowly turned his face towards mine, where my warm smile met his worried visage. Seductively, I used my enchanting pink eyes to stare not only at his face, but well into his soul. His heart began pounding even faster now. So fast, in fact, one would think that he was in the middle of a vigorous run. Infatuation. Longing.

“But don’t let her kind appearance fool you, because she doesn’t like it when people keep secrets, and she especially hates liars.”

My gentle caress quickly turned into a tight grip around his jaw. In a sudden fit, he let out a frail squeak as his infatuated emotions betrayed him, his positive disposition towards me quickly turning against his mind. Betrayal. Wavering.

“As a matter of fact, she hates liars more than anything in this world.”

My grin grew large as I brought my face within inches of his. Unable to look away, he closed his eyes tight as his trembling hands began to shake the shackles of the cuffs that bound him. Scared. Sadness.

“So do us all favor, Mr. Wagner.”

I brought the front of my head down lightly on top of his, rubbing them together as a mother would her child. Guilt. Lonely.

“Don’t lie, and don’t hold out. Alright?”

Even through this guise of affection, I still sensed the urge in his soul to cling tightly to his secrets.

_Fine then, I tried to play nice._

Pulling myself away, I released my vice grip on his jaws, and floated behind him where I took his shoulders into my hands, pulling them on to the chair so he stood upright. Slowly I began massaging them like, lightly and delicately. Much like a potter would work clay, I worked not only the muscles in his shoulder, but the fibers of his being that wished to keep his mouth sealed. Unnerved. Tame.

“Where’s the statue Mr. Wagner?”

Lost in the ecstasy of my slow moving hands, he not only felt the urge to remain silent, but in his mind he felt like he had no need to speak as long as I was showing him affection.

_How naive._

With a solid hard press from my thumb into his shoulder, an audible pop echoed within that tiny room as he winced in pain.

“I told you, the misses here don't like the silent types.”

Gently, I leaned down over the chair, slowly inching my hands from the tops of his shoulders down to his chest. With a soft breath of air on the back of his neck to make his hairs stand on end, I rested the side of my head on his. Like the warm embrace of a gentle lover, I slowly rolled my hands over his chest, causing a tidal wave of mixed emotions innumerable to flood throughout his body, washing away the last fragments of willpower he had.

_Gotcha._

“Where is it!?” Nic asked more aggressively, slamming his fist on to the table.

His heart skipped a beat as the loud noise from the slam made him jerk in his chair. Stricken with uncertainty, he remained silent not out of a need to keep secrets, but because he knew not what to say. Sensing this conflict within him, I decided to give him a little nudge in the right direction by bearing the tips of my claws, scraping them very slowly across his chest like a meowth would with a scratching post. With a few frail pained noises, wincing between gritted teeth, he finally snapped.

“Alright, I’ll talk!” He bellowed loudly in a hefty exhale. Slowly, I brought my hands back and stood up behind him, placing my hands on his shoulders once more.

“Well, start talking then.”

“Me and my friends-”

_Ah-ah, you know how this works._

I gripped his shoulder tightly, causing him to jerk away in pain.

“Ah! Alright! Me! Just me!” He cried, “I was offered a lot of money to bring that statue to some stranger at the dockyard market!”

“Where is the statue now?”

“It’s with him!”

_Not quite a lie... but not quite the truth either._

I dragged my claws along the base of his neck.

“Ah!” He yelped, pulling himself away from me, “It’s at the dead drop! I don’t know if he has it or not!"

“Where’s the dead drop?"

“Behind the gym, in a hollowed out old tree stump. It’s the only one, you can’t miss it!”

_Odd. Why would one hide something they stole so close to where the crime took place?_

"Do you have a name?"

"He didn't give a name. I'm pretty sure it wasn't even the guy looking for it either. He spoke like he was working for someone."

"Did he say who?"

"What the hell do you think!?" He barked aggressively.

_Bad play-thing!_

I slapped him aside the head, reminding him who it was who had control in this situation. Slowly, I began moving away from him and towards the edge of the table.

"When are they picking it up from the dead drop?"

"I don't know. They only said to drop it off and they'd give me the money in a week's time."

"How much?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" He sneered through his angry visage. I began to float towards him, intent on putting him in his place again, but Nic raised his hand and shook his head at me. Clearly he didn't _actually_ care how much money was on the line for this young boy.

"And what of this man that offered you this. What did he look like?"

"I didn't get a good look. Brown hair was all I could see, he made sure to keep everything else covered. Kinda tall, skinny."

“Well, that wasn’t hard now, was it?” Nic noted, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms. The young boy gritted his teeth and averted our sight. Regret. Sadness. Something was off.

“But I have to ask you kid, why did you do it? Why be so adamant about hiding it?”

“He told me...” He began, holding back the tears that were trying to break free, “He told me if I narced I wouldn’t get the money.”

“Need it that badly?”

“Dad just spends all the money he gets in the mines on that fucking alcohol!” He yelled in a cacophonous outburst, “I’m the only one in the house that buys food for my fucking sisters! I need that fucking money!”

His eyes glistened with tears of pain that begged for understanding as he thrashed and fought against the chains that bound him. His soul spoke out, asking for forgiveness, asking for compassion that he had long been starved of. His head hit the table with a light thunk as he sniffled the snot that ran from his nose, trying to hide the tears that dripped from his face and onto the floor. Anguish. Desperation.

“Listen kid, I know what you’re going through-”

“Just don’t send me to jail, please!” He begged, his voice whimpering between staggered breaths, “My sisters need me! They can’t be left alone in that house!”

“That's not my choice to make, kid, but I’ll tell the Chief to go easy on ya.” Nic said solemnly, attempting to soothe the kid’s emotions.

“What about my sisters!?” He cried out, his face running red like a tamato berry. Scared. Worry.

“I’ll talk to the chief about that too, don’t you worry.”

"They never fucking do _**anything!**_ They're all useless!"

Nic nodded to me, and In one quick motion, pushed himself back and hastily stood up, putting his arm around my shoulders as we made our way out the door, leaving the kid to his tantrum in that room as he screamed for whoever would hear his pleas. Once more we were greeted with the nice cool air of the hallway, leaving the young lad to sulk by himself in the interrogation room, only speaking up once the door was locked shut behind us.

“Genuine?”

“ _Yes. He was incredibly distraught at the prospect of having to go to prison._ ”

“Poor kid...”

Nic took his hat off and folded it back into his jacket pocket while the officer opened the door to the viewing room that lay behind the one way mirror.

“I must say, I’m impressed!” The chief complimented with a large smile on his face, clapping his hands slowly.

“Hey it’s not just me you know! It’s Willow here that does all the work to be honest!”

Curious. Disgusted. Chief Castillo did not like me.

“Well, I may not applaud the methods but... I’ll be damned if the results aren’t impressive.”

“We aim to please.”

“I can see why all my lieutenants say you’re the man to go to for this kind of stuff.”

“They say that about us? Really?” Nic asked, surprised.

“Absolutely! They’ve always said you can crack men like walnuts, and I see now they weren’t kidding!”

_He’s not the only one who does the work, you know._

“I’m flattered then! I didn’t know they held us in such high regards.”

The chief shrugged, “Skill begets praise.”

“I guess so.” Rolling his eyes over to the interrogation room, he saw the young man sitting silently sulking at the table, distraught with himself and worried beyond words. Lonely.

“What’s gonna happen to him, chief?”

“We’ll probably get him with burglary. Some fines, maybe some time at the juvenile center.”

“You really gonna throw that poor kid in prison?” He questioned empathetically, intent on convincing him otherwise.

“Burglary is a serious crime, Nic.”

“Come on, chief. You heard what he said. Poor kid’s just looking out for his family. Why not go after the dad? The mother?”

“We already have. Father has too many DUI’s to count. Mother’s been dead for some time.”

“And the courts still let him have custody!?” Nic asked, shocked.

“Unfortunately, yes.”

Drawing in a long, irritated sigh, Nic shook his head solemnly, “Messed up world...”

“I wish I could give you a better answer Nic, I really do.”

“And you’re sure there’s nothing you can do?”

The police chief grimaced, casting his vision into the interrogation room where the kid remained motionless, saddened with himself beyond belief. Regret.

“I’ll see what I can do, but I can’t make any promises."

“That’s all I ask, chief.” Nic responded thankfully, “Is there anything else you need from me?”

“Well...” He began, eyes the papers strewn about on the desk, “I don’t think so. We got all we needed from him and then some.”

“We are nothing if not efficient.” He winked, pulling me in close by my shoulders.

“I’ll be sure to keep that in mind. We’ll take care of the statue, and you enjoy the rest of your day. We’ll be in touch if we are ever in need of your...” The chief paused, casting me an awkward glance, “...expertise.”

“Sounds like a date.” Responding with a nod and a smile, my partner turned us both to the door.

“Take it easy Nic, and don’t be a stranger, alright?”

“What good would I be if I wasn’t a stranger?” He quipped back with a smile as the door slowly closed behind us. I managed to catch one last look of the chief rolling his eyes before the door clicked shut. Our distance was far enough away from the room now that even I couldn’t pick up on their conversation any more, and decided to leave well enough alone. My nose has usually been better off out of other people’s business anyways. Making a steady pace through the corridor, we entered the foyer where the receptionist flashed us a parting smile before we exited through the rotating doors.

Like a refreshing dip into a cool lake, the pleasant mid fall breeze blew lightly between the strands of my hair and under my chest drape. Taking a deep breath, I let the crisp air fill my lungs with the pleasant scent of pine and decaying foliage. Opening my eyes, they laid upon my friend who had walked ahead of me. Doubt. Sadness.

“ _What bothers you?_ ”

“I feel bad for that kid, Willow, I really do.”

“ _I would be lying if I said I didn't as well._ ”

“He’s just looking out for his own. You can’t fault a man for that, can you?”

“ _But stealing isn’t right._ ”

“Of course it isn’t, but nobody goes out and steals because they want to.” He remarked, reaching into his pocket and producing his rusty set of keys.

“ _I’m not entirely convinced._ ”

“People only steal out of desperation! Do you really think people steal for fun?” He pressed, his inquisitive stare confused at my relative apathy.

“ _Some do._ ”

“Of course some do, but there’s always exceptions.” His cheery demeanor began to turn to one of solemnness, “People wouldn’t have to steal if their lives were better...”

“ _I..._ ” Stuttering, I began rummaging my brain to try and find words to articulate my thoughts in a manner he would understand, “ _I’m not entirely sure I know what you mean._ ”

“Tell you what,” He started, turning the key in the lock of the passenger side of his old beat up car, “Think on it a bit, and get back to me when you figure it out.”

“ _You’re seriously going to leave me like that!?_ ”

“Of course not!” Gracefully, he opened the passenger door and held it open for me, “I _am_ bringing you with me after all, aren’t I?”

I rolled my eyes at the ridiculousness of his banter, giving him a swift jab into the shoulder as I sat myself in the seat of his car, “ _Fool._ ”

“Not just a fool, _your_ fool.” He smiled, slowly closing the door and walking around to the driver’s side. Nic always carried himself in a whimsical manner that always seemed to leave me slightly flustered beyond my understanding. Many of my mental tricks and quick witted responses worked wonders on humans and pokémon alike. Everyone, but him, it seemed. It is truly a test of patience being able to have a leg up on most people, only to come across one that seems to outpace yourself at every turn. Maybe it was the years of teasing that make him quick on his feet, or perhaps he had just grown more mature. It’s hard to say, as even his emotions are not as clear cut as they used to be, but it's still irritating none-the-less.

“ _Where to?_ ”

“Back to the office, I have to sign some stupid court papers by tomorrow or they’ll subpoena me, and I’m not about to waste half my day listening to some lawyer’s bullshit.” He lamented, turning the key, letting the engine rumble and clack to life.

“ _Will we be long?_ ”

“Probably, we don’t have any active cases right now, and I hate to see all that paper just laying about, just waiting to be filed.”

I let out a sigh, “ _The office is so dreadfully boring._ ”

“Sorry that the hustle of everyday life is beneath you, princess.”

“ _I wouldn’t have to consider it so if it wasn’t so dull._ ”

“Then go on an adventure!”

“ _There’s nothing to do here!_ ”

“Here in the city, maybe, but there’s a lot of world out there.” He remarked with a smirk.

“ _And yet you choose this life of a paper pusher._ ”

“Aw, now that’s just mean.”

“ _I never said I was nice._ ” I replied, giving him a firm glare.

“I suppose not, but I guess a cold heart is perfect for this kind of work.” Confident, he gave me a passing glare as we turned onto the main downtown road.

“ _Which is precisely why you need me. It almost makes me wonder why you're even doing this kind of work in the first place._ ”

Surprised, he stood up straight in his seat, a small, curious grin curling up on the corner of his lips. His eyes slowly looked over to me as we remained still at a red light.

“Was that a compliment I just got?”

Immediately realizing the implications of what I had said, my face began to flush and a slight cold shiver tingled my spine.

“ _No! I meant that you were unfit for your job because I’m the one who does all the work!_ ”

“Really? Because it sounds like you just said I had a warm heart.” He stated, leaning in closer to me, “Do you need me to warm up that chilled little heart of yours?”

Thoroughly flustered now by his banter once again, I quickly shoved him away and turned my reddening face away from his.

“ _I swear, you are the most frustrating man on this earth!_ ”

“I do hope you mean _mentally_ frustrating by that.”

“ _My goodness..._ ”

Wasting no time he immediately began cackling at his own comment like a giddy little schoolkid. With another deep sigh of disbelief, I shook my head and closed my eyes. I had no choice but to now bury my completely red and embarrassed face into my hands as his sly giggling gave way to outright laughter.

“ _Absolute buffoon..._ ”


	2. Another Day at the Office

With a click of the lock and a turn of the handle, the sizable front door swung open into the quaint little office, where the smell of old musty wood and paper slowly inched its way to my nostrils. Sitting at the reception table was our secretary, Isabel, who pried her eyes away from the papers stacked high in front of her in order to greet Nic with a wide smile. Fondness.

“Afternoon Isabel.”

“Good afternoon Nic! Afternoon Willow.”

I nodded silently to her as Nic pulled the coat off his shoulders and hung it on the wooden hanger that sat at the entrance.

“Anything new?”

“Not really. Mrs. Adams called again.”

“Again!?” Nic moaned with an exasperated sigh, “What does she want now?”

“She didn’t say, only that she wanted you to give her a call back.”

“Can’t you put Dave on it?”

“She asked for you by name.” She replied with a chuckle.

“My goodness... Fine. I’ll give her a call once I have the papers squared away.”

“ _Best to pretend you’re busy or your phone call will take up the rest of the evening._ ”

“No kidding...” He sighed, already dreading the phone call to come. Without another word, he rushed past me, opening up the door to the back rooms where the various offices and storage rooms sat. As the door quickly slammed shut, Isabel shook her head slowly, returning her eyes on to the papers that lay strewn about on her table. Tired. Longing.

_Not today dearest friend._

The spoon that sat in her hot coffee twirled and clinked as she stirred it around with her miniscule psychic capabilities. Her long blonde hair was frayed and slightly damp, leading one to believe that she either arrived late, or had little time this morning to properly brush her hair.

“He’s in a particularly fine mood.” She remarked sarcastically, vision fixated on her work.

“ _Case at the PD has him in the dumps a bit._ ”

“Why? Did you have to pull the tough love act again?” She mocked, chuckling.

I shot her an irritated glare, “ _Yes, but that’s not why he’s down. Young kid got caught stealing to get money for his siblings._ ”

“That’s it? Why did they need him?”

“ _Kid wouldn’t talk._ "

“Ah. So they needed _you._ ”

“ _Yes._ ”

“I assume he cracked like an egg.”

“ _As they always do._ ”

Her spoon stopped it’s smooth spinning motions, knocking the last few drops that clung on to it into the cup. Gently levitating down onto the desk and wasting no time, she immediately began chugging the contents therein, leaving it empty in a matter of seconds, with the only remnants being that of a few drops that clung on to her ruby red lips that were promptly licked away.

“ _First cup?_ ”

“Hah!” She laughed loudly, “Try my 5th.”

“ _That bad, huh?_ ”

“It’s only been getting worse.”

“ _I’m sure this job doesn’t help._ ”

“It’s not the job...” She began with a sigh, casting her vision to the side, “But I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want a little bit more than what this place has to offer...”

Wanting. Hungry. I fought back the urge to smirk a devilish grin, maintaining my neutral expression. While I was adept at reading people like books, this young woman paled in comparison to my capabilities. In that department, she was outgunned by magnitudes beyond her comprehension.

“ _What’s stopping you from finding something better?_ ”

“Well first of all, nobody is hiring after the whole Team Plasma debacle.” She shrugged, “Secondly, I need this job. I can’t pay off my loans otherwise.”

“ _Certainly someone special like you would have no problem finding a better line of work?_ ”

Her eyes were pulled from her paper, casting me a disconcerting glare. Curious.

“You sure are chummy today. What do are you after?”

With a sigh, I slowly levitated towards and dramatically threw myself into one of the few chairs that sat about haphazardly around the waiting area.

“ _Just passing the time. You know how boring this place gets._ "

Isabel chuckled, “You don’t have to tell me, sister.”

“ _Tell you what, I’ll keep my eyes peeled for places that are hiring so you have more than just one pair looking around._ ”

Her inquisitive stare turned back towards me, staring at me plainly, “You’ll not be rid of me that easily.”

“ _I’m just looking out for you._ ”

“I’d sooner believe that pignites started growing wings.” She scoffed, turning her vision back to the desk. Unconvinced.

Outgunned, but not to be underestimated. It wouldn’t do her or myself any justice to not acknowledge her keen eyes and quick wits. Regardless, a little spark inside of her seemed to take a liking to the idea of working elsewhere; somewhere better that pays twice as much that’s half as dreary. Only a small bit of her still clung to the idea of working here, as most of her was more fond of the idea of alluring Nic into her bedside. Thankfully, for both him and myself, she’s not his type, and he’s well aware of that. Still, it pays well to make sure her pining for Nic is well curtailed like the vines of a belue tree. Even better still, it makes me happy that she is as pushy and ambitious as she is. No easier is it to curtail people with large ambitions than it is to breath or think.

Self serving. Stuck up. Those like her who constantly yearn for something are much more easily led astray, and quite easy to manipulate. Not directly, but slowly. Inch by inch you can convince them that what they have is not enough, and their embers of discontent can quickly be fanned by the winds of doubt that howl from my will. People like her are a dime a dozen, and I’m convinced that Nic only keeps her around because he finds her not only attractive, but also somewhat quaint, with her little psychic abilities that culminate into nothing more than silly little party tricks.

_Your ambitions betray you, little lamb, and you don’t even know it._

“ _What are you working on?_ ”

“Papers for a collection agency. Remember that sad sap whose wife went missing about a month ago, only for us to find out she left him for someone else?”

“ _Of course._ ”

“Well he threw himself from Driftveil Bridge about two weeks after that incident, so I’m selling the debt off and wiping our hands clean of that whole affair.”

“ _If he's dead and divorced, who's gonna pay the agency?_ ”

“Don’t know, don’t care. As long as we have our money, that’s for them to decide, not us.”

“ _Fair enough. Hard to believe one would throw their life away like that over some ungrateful knave._ ” I sneered.

With a deep sigh, she brought her deep azure eyes up to mine, where our piercing gazes battled for supremacy, “Shouldn’t you be bothering someone else?”

“ _Why would I bother someone else when I have a perfectly fine specimen to bother right here?_ ” I remarked with a sly grin. Irritated. Impatient.

“Well, if you want that money, I suggest you quit your little mind games and leave me to my work. Go bother Dave or something, he never has anything important happening.”

“ _‘Tis much more fun bothering you though!_ ” I responded with mild enthusiasm that was met with silence. With laser focus, she remained fixated on the work strewn before her, refusing to acknowledge or talk to me. Determined.

_Fine. I **will** go bother someone else then._

With a heavy sigh, I pushed myself up from the chair and began stretching my arms, casting a cursory glance out of the window by the door. By complete happenstance, I managed to catch sight of an odd vehicle parked at the streetside that had two people sitting within, looking at our building through their rolled down windows. They wore black sunglasses and sat themselves in a manner that seemed to intentionally hide themselves from view of the building as best they could.

_Odd..._

Being staked out is not an uncommon sight for an investigative company like ours to see. Criminal organizations plague the land aplenty, and they all like to keep tabs on places and people alike to make sure that they aren’t interfering in their business. However, I had never seen this particular one before; a black SUV with tinted windows and no license plates. Whoever was keeping tabs on us out there was clearly making sure they weren’t traceable.

Not that any of that ever really matters much, as most are too spineless to ever do anything even if we _do_ happen to stick our nose in their business. Paying the sight no mind, I began to make my way to the backrooms, passing through the old wooden door and walking to the end of the dimly lit hallway where Dave’s room lay. Giving the door a couple of loud knocks, I slowly turned the handle and creaked it open, where the sight of him lying motionless on his bed in a white tank top and ripped jeans was all to see. His attention was glued to the television that sat upon his nightstand, staring like a braviary watching its prey, his eyes equal parts tired and captivated at the same time. Chin ragged with 5 o’clock shadow, he barely shifted himself in his bed as he looked over to me, paying my visit little heed before the television reclaimed his attention. Had I not known any better, I’d say he was a homeless man who decided to take up residence in our little business.

“ _You look rather ravishing today, Dave._ ”

“Hmph...” He grunted. I turned my sight on to the T.V. where some sort of soap opera was playing, showing a scene of what seemed to be two young friends talking at a table outside of a café.

“ _You seem to be rather engrossed. Shall I leave you be?_ ”

With a deep breath, he stretched his shoulders and kicked his legs a bit before sitting himself up.

“ _What do you want?_ ” His own lazy psychic voice reverberating within my mind.

“ _Entertainment!_ ” I quipped, “ _Nic is sorting some things out and I need to preoccupy myself._ ”

“ _So I guess I’m the plaything today, huh?_ ” He remarked, rubbing his eyes vigorously.

“ _Seeing as Isabel doesn’t take too kindly to my teasing, I guess you are._ ”

He drew in a deep breath and looked up at me with his exhausted visage, “ _Alright. What did I do wrong to deserve this?_ ”

“ _Nothing!_ ” I stated plainly, walking into his room and sitting in one of the chairs near his bed, “ _I’m just passing the time._ ”

“ _You and I both know that’s a lie._ ”

“ _Most of the time it would be, yes._ ” I began, chuckling, “ _But that truly is the only reason this time. I just want to pass the time while Nic does his work._ ”

“ _Well, you’re more than welcome to watch my show with me._ ”

We both looked up at the TV again, where the same scene of a pair of friends talking was still unfolding.

“ _I think I’d be fonder of watching paint dry._ ”

“ _Hey, it’s a good show once you get into it._ ”

“ _I’ll take your word for it..._ ”

With a big breath and a mighty heave, he pushed himself up from the bed, bending and twisting his back until a loud pop echoed within the confines of the room.

“ _Ah! There we go!_ ” He proclaimed, “ _Much better!_ ”

“ _That sounded satisfying._ ” I remarked with a smile.

“ _Damn right it was._ ” He began, shaking his extremities as goosebumps made the hairs on his arms stand on end, “ _I’m going to get a cup of coffee, you want one?_ ”

“ _I’ll pass, but I **will** tag along._”

Pushing myself up, I followed him out of his room and into the small office next door, where papers and folders were strewn about as if a hurricane had come through. Like a beacon of civilization at the far end of it all laid the coffee machine, standing as the only thing that remained pristine within the whole room.

“ _Anything planned today?_ ” He asked, breaking the silence as he scooped the coffee grounds into the filter.

“ _Maybe. We just came back from the PD, and Mrs. Adams called asking for Nic, so we might have to make a trip out to her place again._ ”

“ _That woman is losing her marbles, I’m sorry you two get stuck with her constantly._ ”

“ _Eh._ ” I shrugged, “ _As long as she pays._ ”

“ _Fair enough. Once was enough for me, though. I’m not fond of having my time wasted._ ”

“ _Says the man whose eyes are glued to his television all day._ ”

“ _Ha-Ha. Very funny._ ”

I chuckled at his ironic view of the world, his gaze staring intently at the machine whose liquid energy began dripping into the pot.

“ _Any luck with your search?_ ”

“ _The fact I’m still here should answer that question for you._ ”

“ _I’m just making small talk, no need to get all pissy._ ” I smiled, giving his shoulder a light jab. 

“ _Sorry. Been a long week._ ”

“ _What’s up?_ ”

“ _Nothing you should concern yourself with._ ”

“ _You know, saying that only makes me more curious, right?_ ” I replied with a sly grin. He offered no response as the last few bits of coffee dripped into the container. Pulling it from the machine and taking the entirety of it with him into the hallway, I followed closely behind.

“ _You drinking all that?_ "

“ _Of course I am, what kind of question is that?_ ” He quipped, ducking slightly as we walked through the doorway back into his room. I stopped myself next to the door, content on levitating slightly above the ground.

“ _I was just wondering why you were bringing the whole pot with you. Isabel doesn’t like it when you do that, you know._ ”

“ _Eh, fuck her._ ” He stated plainly as he sat down in his office chair, drinking the coffee straight.

“ _No thanks, I don’t swing that way._ ” I giggled, my response putting a small smile on Dave’s face.

“ _I’d be surprised if **anyone** swung her way._”

We shared a bout of laughter and camaraderie, large smiles curling their ways on to our lips.

“ _Poor girl, we’re going to push her to quit if we don’t stop our teasing._ ”

“ _Oh no. How horrible._ ” I replied in a monotone voice, dramatically bringing my hand to my forehead. Our little bit of shared laughter was quickly ended when my attention was taken by the sound of a door closing shut a little ways up the hallway. Peeking around the corner, I saw Nic flipping through some papers in a manila folder that was littered with scribblings and bends all over it.

“ _Guess that’s my cue._ ”

“ _Have fuuuun._ ” Dave taunted with a smile, winking as he took a gulp from the coffee pot.

“ _I’ll try my best, Dave._ ”

With one last little laugh, I closed the door to his room, leaving him to whatever drivel it was he was watching. The sound of the door closing caught Nic’s attention, whose eyes were peeled from his papers in order to meet mine.

“ _That was quick._ ”

“Thankfully." He began with a sigh, "Are you bothering Dave again?”

“ _Not bothering, just having a little chit chat._ ”

“Leave him be, you know how he can get.”

“ _Oh he’s fine! He’s probably just lonely and bored out of his goober or something. The least I can do is entertain him._ ”

“Yeah, but you weren't seeing him for _his_ entertainment. Just make sure not to annoy him too much.”

“ _Since when am **I** ever annoying?_”

He rolled his eyes with a smug little smile, leading the way back down the hallway into the main room where Isabel remained fixated on her work.

“Isabel, could I ask a favor?”

Her attention stirred, she passed me a quick look before a joyous visage quickly replaced her grizzled and tired one.

“Of course! What can I do?” She asked in an overly-exaggerated kind tone.

“All the papers the court needs are in this folder. Would you mind dropping them off at the courthouse after work if I’m not back from Mrs. Adam’s by this evening?”

“Of course!”

“Perfect. Willow, you’re more than happy to tag along if you want.”

A small smirk curling it’s way across my lips, casting a side glare at Isabel, I nodded my head slowly.

“Alright. I just have to grab some things from storage real quick before we go. Feel free to wait out in the car.”

As urgent as ever, he made no more remarks and began walking back down the hallway without even closing the door behind him. Wasting no time, I turned my taunting gaze over to Isabel, who had promptly begun looking over the papers within the folder.

“ _It appears I have won again._ ”

Intent on ignoring my jabs, she remained glued to the documents. Snub.

“ _I do wonder when you’ll realize that I never lose, but part of me hopes you never do. ‘Twould be difficult to find a new plaything._ ”

Content with my parting statement, I turned to the front door and promptly opened it up before she could formulate a response of her own, stepping into the cool fall sun that beat lightly down upon my skin. Curious enough, the same black SUV that was parked across the street still remained, the people inside now looking at me instead of the building. Closing the door shut behind me, I leaned my back against it and crossed my arms, glaring a nasty glare at them with my radiant pink eyes. It wasn’t long into this standoff that they felt the need for them to roll up their tinted windows in a desperate attempt to avert my inquisitive gaze.

_That’s what I thought._

Slowly, I strolled my way to Nic's car that sat near the front door, opening up the passenger side door and sitting myself in the warm interior at the same time as Nic came out with a large box that rolled on two wheels like a luggage bag the size of a mini fridge. I would be inclined to offer some help, but Nic’s pride is large, one of his weak points; so I let myself stay put and watch him heave and tug away at the box as he walked around to the trunk of the car. Popping it open, he mustered a large sum of strength and heaved it in, the weight causing the springs of the car to creak and scrape with a chilling metal grinding sound. Slamming the trunk shut, he walked to the driver’s side and sat himself down next to me, small beads of sweat dripping from his forehead.

“ _This seems a bit excessive for a trip to Mrs. Adam’s place._ ”

“It is, but she has something serious this time.” He stated quickly between labored breaths.

“ _What is it?_ ”

“Someone’s been stealing her jewelry, and she’s not sure who, or what, it is.”

“ _You sure she’s not just misplacing them?_ ”

“That’s what I thought at first, but you know how much jewelry she has, right?”

“ _Yeah, a whole wardrobe's worth of the useless stuff._ ”

“At least half has gone missing within the last week.”

“ _That’s... quite a lot._ ”

“Yes, even for her. One would think if that much jewelry was misplaced, some of the pieces would have at least been found by now, but she hasn’t found any of them at all.”

" _Not one?_ "

"Not one." Nic stated plainly, nodding his head.

“ _Odd..._ ”

“Yeah, odd indeed. So I’m bringing some recording equipment in the hopes we might be able to catch who, or what, is doing it.”

“ _Makes sense to me._ ”

With a quick turn of the key and spark of the ignition, the old engine roared to life again, creaking and squealing as we backed up from our parking spot. Grinding and bending, the rear bearings sounded like they were struggling to hold the weight of everything that he was bringing on this adventure.

“ _You really should invest in a new car._ ”

“Not until this one kicks the bucket for sure.”

With a huff, I rolled my eyes at the possibility of the rear axle snapping, which seemed as if it was more likely than it probably actually was. I'm not stranger to living within my means, but this big hunk of scrap metal was beginning to push it. Regardless, we pulled into the road where my attention caught wind and noticed the distinct lack of a black SUV in the spot where it was parked, not a trace it was ever there to begin with.

_How very odd..._


	3. Of Elderly and Irony

Anyone with an elderly relative, or those who find themselves in the company of the elderly, know that confusion and obstinance are not only commonplace, but are to be expected. Confusion, obstinance, and most of all, loneliness. All of these characteristics perfectly encompass Mrs. Adams, whose many days alone in her sizable home leave her yearning for human contact and conversation in any and all places. As a result, elderly people tend to fixate on certain people or businesses, and it is not uncommon for these people of businesses to have a lot of time dedicated to these people, be it willingly or not. Mrs. Adams just so happened to have chosen us as her go-to for the many not-so-odd happenings around her home, fixating on us as a grandmother would her grandkids.

I pay no negative mind to it, not any more at least, not since our dozens upon dozens of outings to her place have left me with a different view of her and the elderly in general. What was once irritation and befuddlement has since quickly turned into fondness and understanding. When most people you know are no longer in this world, and those that are don’t speak to you, it can be hard to fight off the maddening voices in one's head that linger in the spot of your mind that was once occupied by those you loved. In that assessment, it is no wonder why it is she likes to call us when, well, pretty much anything happens.

Nic’s patience, however, is not as unending as mine. Her long winded conversations and ramblings about days of old quickly irritate and fluster him, as he likes to think himself of a man of efficiency. He sees it as nothing more than a waste of time; time that could be otherwise spent doing work or straightening out other affairs that tend to pile up without end. In that sentiment, I disagree wholeheartedly. The elderly have a lot to teach, whether he or they realize it or not. Even in what seems to be the most mundane of conversations, one can come away with something of value from one much older than themselves. You just have to know where to look, and how to listen.

Unfortunately for him, looking and listening is my domain; deciphering what people mean and how they feel is at the very core of what it is I do. Long gone are the years where he would have to make his own assessments or infer his own conclusions. Having your own walking polygraph machine always seems much better on paper than it actually turns out to be. You miss out on a lot of what makes life interesting. Mysteries that keep the mind sharp, life lessons, fun stories, and important information; all are just mindless drivel that goes in one ear and out the other, leaving me as the only filter for any and all information that runs by the two of us. What many would consider a blessing can quickly turn a man into a hollow shell of themselves, devoid of all purpose that once fueled their desires.

The grass is always greener on the other side, as they say.

While Nic isn’t quite there yet, I fear he may be reaching a point of no return very soon. Fires that once fueled his passions have long since dwindled, and his mind has become an enigma even to myself. It almost makes me think he would be better off without me in his life. Almost.

“ _You know, one day you’re going to miss her._ ”

“Hmph. That day most certainly won’t be today.” He grumbled, slowing the car down, turning us into the gated driveway.

“ _It may not be this month, and it may not be a year, but one day._ ”

“I can’t honestly see myself missing her.”

“ _You say that now, even as you talked of your grandfather in the same manner all those years ago._ ”

A gaze of angered intensity quickly turned to me; a warning of not to play with the mightyena’s teeth.

“ _Fine. I’ll drop it._ ”

His agitation dwindling, he slowly began lowering the driver side window while the car remained parked in front of the gate, his attention now grabbed by the buzzer that let loose an obnoxious ringing sound.

“ _H-Hello? Who is it?_ ”

He took in a deep breath and put on his best fake smile he could as he rang the buzzer back.

“It’s Nic!”

“ _Oh! Come on in!_ ”

Slowly, the wrought iron gates began to part ways, grinding and clawing at the concrete beneath them. As soon as there was enough room for us to squeeze between, we began our smooth ride down the lengthy driveway. Lined along either side of the car lay many bushes and beautiful flower gardens that passed us by, surrounding the driveway with a beauty that reached beyond my eyes and kissed my soul.

“ _I’ll never get over these gardens._ ”

“I will give her credit for them, they are nice looking.”

“ _So much peaceful tranquility to be had with such sights. She must spend so much time on them._ ”

“Probably as much time as she spends bothering us, I would wager.”

“ _She only fixates on us because she likes us, you know._ ”

“I can’t imagine why. She _pays_ us to come here, why on earth would she feel the need to become attached?”

“ _It’s not about the money, Nic. It’s about the rapport, the companionship. The friendship._ ”

“I wouldn’t exactly call our relationship with her ‘friendship’.”

“ _And that’s the difference between you and I. Everything is just numbers to you. Where I see sweet old lady, you see only dollar signs in a ledger._ ”

“Not everything is about money.”

“ _Not everything._ ” I began, casting my vision to the gorgeous gazebo that sat in the center of her front yard with colorful flowers blooming aplenty at its base, “ _But enough that you lose sight of what’s important._ ”

“Such as?”

I chuckled, “ _My point exactly._ ” I put my hand on his wrist and softly pulled it away from the wheel, interlocking a few of my fingers between his, “ _Think on it a bit, and get back to me when you figure it out._ ”

“Clever.” He huffed, casting me a side glare as a small smile began to curl across his lips.

“ _You wouldn’t keep me around if I weren’t._ ” I smiled back.

A silence fell between us. His vision was as preoccupied on the driveway as mine was on the beautiful flower gardens, our hands resting lightly on my lap. Even though he may be losing himself, I’ll be damned if I don’t try my best to beat some sense into his dense head. Ironic, I know, coming from the one who’s causing these problems in the first place, but it’s hard for me to consider leaving his side for his own good, and I'll be damned if I let anyone else take my place next to him. In that essence, I am as flawed as he is; too stubborn to change my ways and too emotional to see things as they should be.

Our fingers parted ways as the brakes of the car grinded the metal death trap to a halt just in front of the large garage door. As with all our visits before, Nic began affixing his hat just as the front door opened up to the sight of old Mrs. Adams who began waltzing over to us as fast as she could, her jewelry dangling and clinging as she walked. Worried. Worried, but happy to see us.

“Hello Theresa!” Nic called out as the two of us climbed out of the car.

“Oh, it is wonderful to see you two!” She proclaimed with a wide smile, “How have you two been?”

“Busy as always, ma’am.”

“Oh I’m sure! I trust the beautiful misses here keeps your leash short?” She quipped sarcastically, shaking my hand the moment I came up next to her.

“Shorter than I’d like.” He chuckled.

“Good girl.” She began, leaning closer to me, “You gotta make sure to crack the whip with men like this one.”

_If only you knew the half of it._

“I can hear you, you know...”

“Good! Maybe now you’ll finally learn to behave then!”

“ _I have serious doubt about that._ ” I stated, shooting Nic a sly grin. He let loose a heavy sigh, his shoulder slumping as he already began to regret this safari before we even had the chance to enter the house.

“Alright, alright! Enough gibber gabber! Come on in, you two have to see this!” Her tone immediately turned serious as she began to make pace to her front door with Nic and I in tow. Such assertiveness is not like her. Clearly whatever’s been happening has her thoroughly concerned, or, at least, more so than any of the other dozens of times she’s called for us. Eagerness to show us what’s been happening filled up inside her as she held the door open for us, a rush of warm air blowing onto my face and past my head as we walked through the doorway. The sight of her beautiful kitchen greeted us like the tables and atmosphere of a high end diner, with light shimmering and dancing down from the brilliant crystal chandelier that spun ever so slowly above.

“Do you two need anything to drink before I show you?”

“No thanks, we had a quick meal on the road.”

“You sure? I just brewed some iced tea!”

“ _That does sound good..._ ”

“Maybe in a bit once we’ve had a look around.”

“Alright then...” She began, half defeated, “Follow me.”

Turning left out of the kitchen, we walked into the large living area, where a grand brick fireplace slowly smoldered, the TV hanging above chattering on with the local news. Light shining through the windows and small lamps lighting the corners gave a very warm ambience to the whole area that made the entire house feel rather cozy.

“It’s the weirdest thing you two, I’m telling you! Pieces have been going missing almost every evening!” She began clamoring.

“How much goes missing every night?”

“No more than one or two pieces, but you know how much I love my jewelry! I’d hate to see them go missing, or worse, stolen right out from under my nose!"

“Of course. I can’t imagine all those pieces are cheap, either.”

“Why of course they’re not!” She began, half offended that Nic would even consider them to be cheap. “A good number of them have been passed down in my family, too! They’re worth much more than their weight in gold to me, and I’ll be damned if some thief gets their grubby mitts on them!”

“I’m sure whatever it is, we’ll be able to find out.”

“Which is precisely why I called you two. I _know_ you’ll be able to figure it out.”

The living room passed behind us as we entered a wide hallway with numerous doors lining either side. Paintings and photos older than any I’ve seen were a pleasant sight to behold, ranging from abstract art, to colorless photographs of whom I can only assume are either her parents or late husband.

“ _Ask her how Pluto’s doing._ ” I piped up, trying to keep their conversation going.

“How’s Pluto?”

“Oh as much of a rat bastard as always, but he’s my bastard and I love him.”

“Glad to hear he’s doing good.”

“More than good, honestly. He’s been quite energetic lately, and it’s a pain in the ass to keep him from trying to get outside.”

_Odd. Usually he’s quite tame and friendly._

“You keep him in his pokéball?”

“Of course not! I’m no jailer and he’s no criminal! Plus, I’d feel bad if I kept him cooped up all time.”

“Understandable.” Nic began, casting a contemplative look to the few balls he had snapped to his belt, “I feel that way too sometimes, but usually it’s just not practical to let my own friends out. Not in this line of work anyways.”

“Oh, I could only imagine! Your work can be very dangerous. _I_ wouldn’t want Pluto out and about if he could get hurt.”

“Yeah...”

A brief silence fell upon us as we approached the door at the end of the hallway. Slowly, she turned the handle on the door, revealing a lusciously grand bedroom, pristine and tidy beyond anything I would think she was capable of. All, except for the sheets and the blankets on the bed, where Pluto, her pidgeotto, laid sprawled about on the blankets, fast asleep without a care in the world.

“We’ll have to be quiet, don’t want to wake him.” She whispered, quickly taking us over to the large walk-in closet on the other end of the bedroom. Immediately, our eyes were met with outfits and clothes abound that hung on either side of us, culminating in a large stand at the far end. Dozens of shelves and drawers held mannequin heads and display cases that sat upon them by the dozens. Some of them were opened with nothing inside, and most of the mannequins were bare of any jewelry or headwear.

“It seems a lot _has_ gone missing.” Nic noted, genuinely surprised.

“Yes! And I’m at a complete loss of what to do!" She began, scratching her head. Concern. "I’m more baffled and worried than anything, to be honest!”

Nic leaned forward and began inspecting one of the open cases. Simple in make, the mechanisms that kept it shut were nothing more than a little brass buckles that even a toddler could open if they wanted to.

“And you’re sure nobody has a set of keys to your house?”

“Positive!”

“And your windows and doors are all locked?”

“Every night!”

“Hmm...”

Standing back up, Nic began inspecting the walls and ceiling. Looking around and behind the hanging clothes and dressers, his curious look beginning to turn into one of confusion.

“Is there anyone that knows of your collection that would want to steal it?”

“Nobody but close family, but as you know most of them are dead or moved far away. Ruth is the only friend I’ve ever shown this to but she’s much too frail to move around her house, let alone pull off a heist like... _this_!”

Wracking my brain, I too couldn’t formulate a solid picture in my head of what was going on here. Usually the problems she calls us for are mundane and, generally, easily explainable. This, however, was beginning to perplex even myself. There’s no reason anyone stealing jewelry wouldn’t just steal the whole lot, and the fact that not a lot of people even know of her collection to begin with just throws this whole situation for a loop.

“Let me check something real quick.” Nic stated, walking quickly past me and back into the bedroom. We followed shortly behind as he went to the window that was right next to her bedside, thoroughly inspecting it immediately.

“Don’t mind the bite marks, those are just from Pluto when he tries to get outside.”

Curious, I made my way to the window as well, looking it over right beside Nic. Bite marks all around the lock and down on the handle, no doubt caused by her feathery friend, looked as if he gnawed frantically at them. Clearly whatever possesses him to want to go outside is compelling enough to cause as much damage the window as he has.

“Hmm... I’m going to check the locks on all the other windows and doors. Is it possible to have access to all the other rooms?” Nic asked in a hushed tone.

“Of course! Let me go unlock some of the other doors real quick.” Hastily, she began hobbling her way out of the room into the hallways, the jewelry on her wrists clanging lightly with each step.

“Willow, you can start at the kitchen and work your way back, I’ll work towards you.”

“ _Will I get a bonus if I check more than you?_ ”

Unamused, he cast me an annoyed glare at me before turning his attention back to the window in front of him.

_Fine. Be that way._

With a sigh, I lifted myself from the carpet and levitated quickly down the halls, past Mrs. Adams and into the living room, where there were numerous windows that let light cast itself into the sizable home. Determined, I headed toward the back corner of the kitchen where I began to check each of the windows, one by one.

Thankfully, all the windows were the same make, so getting into the rhythm of checking the mechanism and making sure it couldn’t be forced open was quick work. Each window checked gave the same answer as the last: sturdy, solid, locked and sealed tight. None of them were loose, and none of them budged when I tried to psychically yank them open with the lock still in place. The door into the garage was bolted shut, and the only door that remained unlocked was that of the front door by which Nic and myself came in. Such findings were to be expected, as anyone breaking in through any of these entrances would no doubt cause enough commotion to wake even the heaviest of sleepers, and would no doubt alert Mrs. Adams or Pluto.

_Pluto... Hmm..._

At so much of a loss of explanations, I began to entertain even the most absurd of ideas, like Pluto eating her jewelry in his energetic fits. While ridiculous as it may seem, Nic and I have seen much weirder, and there was nothing I found so far that could provide me with an adequate explanation for anything else, and with each window or door checked, I expectedly came no closer to finding or thinking of anything reasonable that could explain what was going on. I was almost certain none of the locked bedrooms would reveal anything noteworthy either, but continued on to the first bedroom anyways, where the door sat open, welcoming me inside.

The interior was small, but the bed was sizable, at least a king size with a profusion of pillows and blankets neatly organized on top of it. Floating past the foot of the bed to the only window in the room, I tried to pull the lock open, to no avail. Only with great effort that required using my whole body weight, did I manage to successfully yank it, unlocking it with a loud snap that sounded almost as if I had broken something. The whole affair sent me off balance, floating haphazardly into a small table, knocking a quaint little portrait off of it. With quick reflexes, I managed to grab it in mid air with my mind just as it was about to hit the ground. I let out a nervous huff, thankful that I didn’t break anything valuable.

_Watch what you’re doing, Willow, you klutz._

I brought the small photograph up into my grasp and turned it around, where the colorless picture within showed a small gathering of nurses in full medical attire, posing for a photo inside of what looked to be like quite the run down hospital. Regardless of their surroundings, they all smiled and looked as if they were ready to tackle anything the world had to throw at them. Simple, and heartwarming. It’s hard to tell how old the photograph was, but it would have to be at least 60 or so years old considering how faded by the sunlight it had become.

“The one of the right was me when I was younger.” I heard Mrs. Adam’s voice echo from behind. Startled, I turned around to see her standing in the doorway, slowly walking her way towards me.

“You know I used to be a busy bee back when I had young blood pumping in my veins. Used to be able to run laps around the doctors like nobody's business.”

Slowly, she sat herself on to the bed right next to me, patting on the bed for me to do the same. Gently, I lowered myself beside her, handing the picture to her as she clasped the memories in her slightly shaking, long withered hands.

“I went into the nurses corps at the same time my husband went into the army. We never saw each other much in those years, but it made seeing each other all that much more rewarding.”

Solemn. She stared blankly at the photograph longingly, silently contemplating all the years gone by.

“Part of me wishes I could go back, experience it all over again.”

_Don’t we all._

“But I’m wise enough to know that’s not going to happen any time soon.” She chuckled alongside a heavy breath of longing.

“You’re a very sweet girl, Willow.” She began, turning her aged gaze up towards me, softly placing one of her hands on mine, leaning in closer, “Do yourself a favor. Don’t let these years go to waste, and make sure Nic doesn’t either. I’ve seen the likes of him many times before. He’ll work himself into an early grave if he keeps up the pace he’s at.”

Uncertainty began to well up inside of me as I turned my own vision over to the framed picture she held in her hand. The weight of her words began to bear heavily on my shoulders as I stared into the eyes of the ghostly nurses of that photograph that seemed to stare back into my soul. Haunting.

“I only say these things because I care about you two. I want to see you two happy, and I'm sure you do as well.”

With a tiny smile, I turned back to Mrs. Adams, taking my hand away from hers and placing it on her shoulder. 

_And I care about you as well, Theresa._

Several moments were spent in contemplative silence, looking at the photo and out of the window, appreciating the colorful trees as they swayed in the light fall breeze. Our bonding together was short lived, however, as the footfalls of my not-so-stealthy companion rumbled down the hallway, his head peeking around the corner as he came upon our room.

“Find anything?”

“ _Nothing. All the windows are secure._ ” I responded, looking back at him.

“Same story up my way.” He began, nodding back to where he came from, “Can you help me with the equipment in the car real quick?”

“ _Of course._ ”

With one last quick smile that Mrs. Adam's and I shared with each other, I pushed myself from the bed, quickly levitating into the hallway. Nic had already begun his walk to the front door, and I had only managed to catch up to him as he began unlocking the trunk of his car, fumbling about with the large box that was wedged haphazardly into it.

“ _What’s the plan?_ "

“I’m going to set up some cameras in her bedroom and outside her window.”

“ _A bit creepy don’t you think?_ ”

“Creepier than something sneaking into her home and stealing her stuff? Come, give me a hand with this!”

With his physical strength and my psychic powers combined, we slowly managed to inch the large container out of the trunk yank by yank, letting it hit the ground with an audible thud. Relieved, we both rested a moment, leaning ourselves against the car as we caught our breath.

“ _Need help carrying that?_ ”

“Nope, I got it.” He insisted.

" _You sure? It's pretty heavy._ "

Nic pushed himself off of the car, "Nah, I should be fine."

Without any more words, he immediately began heaving and hauling the box up towards the front door. His pride has always been too large to allow anyone else to help him with almost anything, convinced that cooperation showed weakness. Ironic, considering he needed me to help get the box out of the trunk and even more ironic still considering we work on nearly every case we've ever had together. Watching him pull on the box that held his equipment made the uncertainty within my mind grow with every tug, the rolling of the box's long battered wheels making those profound words that Mrs. Adams gave to me echo within the back of my consciousness.

_He’ll work himself into an early grave if he keeps up the pace he’s at..._


	4. Premonition

Whoever invented plumbing is a genius.

Wherever they are in the afterlife, be it their afterlife of choice or something beyond their expectations, I wish them nothing less than the absolute best, because plumbing is the most amazing thing humans have ever designed. It is single handedly responsible for so many things which make modern life great, not the least of which being the steaming hot shower water that is currently pelting my face, cascading down the length of my whole body.

There is nothing quite like it honestly. Being alone with your thoughts as the tribulations of the day are washed from your mind as quickly as the sweat caked grime is rinsed from your hair is a feeling unlike any other. Steaming water soaking between your fingers, it’s heat digging it’s way deep into your bones, relaxing and massaging the very fiber of your being. Combined with the solitude that it is paired with, there are very few things I look forward to more than the evening shower.

Perhaps I praise it as much as I do because there is very little privacy in my life, and so I savor every ounce of it I can get. Or maybe it’s because I’ve convinced Nic to spend a lot of money on our showers, water heater, and pipes to make sure they’re in pristine condition. Honestly, it might just be that the hot water feels good. I haven’t figured out which it is yet, if not all of them, and I’m not in any rush to pinpoint it either. As long as the hot water keeps flowing, that’s all that matters. With it, I can let myself relax and my mind wander.

Or, at least usually I would. Today was fairly mentally draining, and one of 5 particularly busy days in a row as well. My capacity to lose myself in my mind has dwindled entirely, leaving the hot running water my only sanctity from this week of madness.

“Hey! How long are you going to be!?”

And it appears that even _this_ was not to last.

Loud, rhythmic pounding assaulted the bathroom door, heralding Nic’s irritation at my ‘excessive’ time spent in the shower.

_Maybe if I ignore him he’ll go away..._

“I know you can hear me in there!” I heard his muffled yells from beyond the door.

_No such luck, it seems._

“ _What do you want!?_ ”

I heard the doorknob click, followed by the door slowly creaking open, “I have to take a shit! You’ve been in there for forty minutes!”

“ _Close the goddamn door you weirdo! Haven’t you ever heard of privacy!?_ ”

“Not when you hog the bathroom for as long as you do! At least let me use the toilet real quick!”

“ _Absolutely not!_ ”

“Why not!?”

“ _Because I’m naked and showering! Plus, I don’t want you stinking up the place!_ ”

“You’re **always** naked!”

“ _That’s not the point!_ ”

I let loose a frustrated sigh, slowly turning the knob until the shower’s stream was but a meager drip. It seems my pleasant little escape for the evening would be short lived.

" _Give me 5 minutes to dry off then it’s all yours._ ”

“I’ll be counting!”

_I'm sure you will be..._

As soon as the door clicked shut, I pulled the curtains back, stepping out of the tub and into the thick cloud of steam that had accumulated since my shower began. Not fond of choking on the thick fog, I flicked the switch of the ceiling fan, and the heavy smog that clouded my vision began to immediately clear itself, the vent sucking up the cloud in a slight twirl. With a yank, I pried one of the large towels from the rack, and began drying my hair, ruffling it wildly until it felt wet no more.

After a thorough drying, I pried the towel away from my hair to the sight of my foggy reflection in the mirror before me. My hair was thrown so wildly astray it seemed as if I was struck by lightning in one of those old cartoons, and I couldn’t help but laugh at how ridiculous I looked. Levitating the brush up from the sink counter, I began to quickly comb my hair as I dried off the rest of my body, the fog plastered to the mirror in front of me slowly receding to show a more clear vision of myself. 

For some reason, I found my own visage in that reflection quite alluring, beckoning me to stare closely at myself. Something was off, but I couldn’t figure out what. My hair was combed and looked fine, my chest crest felt no different, and my eyes were the same radiant pink they had always been. Yet somehow, I felt as if I didn’t recognize myself in the mirror, like I was staring at a complete stranger that seemed just as confused as I was, mimicking my every movement.

_Am I going mad?_

Slowly, I leaned forward over the sink, staring deeply into myself as I pressed a finger against the mirror. Solid, unmoving. I’m not sure what I expected, but I had hoped it would make the uneasy feeling in the back of my mind fade, which of course it didn’t. Standing upright and tall, I looked myself over down to the waist, beginning to levitate slightly off the ground. Giving my whole body a quick lookover in the mirror, and much to my expectations, there was nothing out of the ordinary about me that could explain this odd feeling. Floating slowly down, I closed my eyes tight and shook my head, opening them up to see the face of myself, but this time with a maddening glare, her eyes as wide as as they could possibly be. My heart sank and skipped a beat as I threw myself to the side, it's vicious stare fixating on me as I floundered about in the room. Frozen with fear, I felt my extremities begin to shake a tremble as my mind raced a mile a minute about what it is I should do. It's eyes swirled into a deeper pink as it's chilling glare continued to freeze my soul solid. However, like a vampire that's had it's fill, the reflection of myself within the mirror turned it's attention away from me, standing as still as a statue, staring at the wall across from the mirror. With a couple of quick blinks, as quickly as the image came, it went, leaving no trace that it has ever even been there. Thoroughly startled and flustered beyond my wit, I tripped over myself, falling backwards against the wall.

Heart pounding, I clenched my eyes shut and faced the floor for a few long seconds, slowly turning my head upwards to the mirror where my reflection seemed to mimic the motions of myself once more. With that faint feeling that something was off vanishing as quickly as the illusion, I was left standing there confused beyond words. I stared down at my shaking hands as I felt my crest run hot from what had just happened. With a sigh, I spent a few moments leaned against that wall, catching my breath, continually staring at the mirror to make sure whatever lurked within didn’t attempt to lurch outward and suck out my soul.

_I need a vacation..._

Now having the soul thoroughly spooked out of me, I threw the towel on to the rack beside me, and decided to leave the whole affair behind me, content on spending no more time with that mirror than was necessary. Creaking the door open, my sight was met with Nic laying on our bed, eyes glued to the newspaper he held in his hands.

“ _All yours, shitty boy._ ”

“Ugh... thank goodness.” He sighed with relief.

_Don’t let the demon in that mirror get you._

Wasting no time he immediately pried himself from the bed, speed walking into the bathroom, slamming the door shut behind him. So fast he moved, in fact, he probably didn't even notice how thoroughly spooked I was, and completely forgot his newspaper that, no doubt, he was already regretting not bringing with him to the porcelain throne.

Throwing myself on to the bed in a slight fit of worry, I began to contemplate just what the hell it was that just happened to me. Hallucinations are not uncommon for those with psychic capabilities to experience, and I’ve had my fair share of them in the past. Combined with the stress from work, that’s probably what it was. Probably.

However, my mind was much too weary to consider any other possibilities. If it truly is some sort of mirror demon or the tricks of some pokémon that wants to torment us, then it is Nic’s problem now, not mine. My tired gaze fixated on the newspaper besides me, staring at the many pages that were folded in on each other. Contemplating between reading the paper, or watching something on the television, my sight shifted quickly back and forth between the two.

_Eh, screw it._

Reluctantly, I pulled the newspaper up from the bed, proceeding to slowly crawl myself across the blankets until I reached my spot on the other end. Pulling the sheets up and over myself, I snugly situated myself into all my pillows and began to scan through the newspaper for anything noteworthy. Naturally, the front page was full of the ‘breaking’ news, which in this town, consisted primarily of literally anything happening that doesn’t involve the dockyard to any extent. The main attraction plastered to the front of the paper involved a charity baseball game that took place a few days ago, funnily enough, not too far from where Mrs. Adams lives. All the proceeds went to the local children’s hospital and so on and so forth the paper rambled on.

Surprisingly, a small blurb on the stolen statue in the Driftveil gym took up the bottom corner, and continued on to some other page further inward. It made statements urging the denizens of the city to call with any information regarding it, so I assume this paper was printed long before we got ourselves involved earlier today. Funnily enough, it also had a statement from the police chief saying that they were ‘working with the proper experts’ in order to see the statue brought back. 

“I wouldn’t go in there if I were you...” I heard Nic’s voice say as the door swung open, his careless demeanor grabbing my attention.

“ _I wouldn’t go in there if my life depended on it._ ”

“What if my life depended on it?” He asked with a silly grin.

“ _Then I’d probably tell you to stop eating gas station sushi so I wouldn’t have to brave the elements of your noxious odors in order to save you._ ”

“Hey, it’s not my fault it’s super tasty!”

“ _You can always choose not to eat it, you know that right?_ ”

“Well, if the sushi didn’t want to be eaten, maybe it shouldn’t be so delicious.”

I sighed, rolling my eyes, “ _You really are something else..._ ”

“And don’t you forget it!” He winked, pulling his shirt off and tossing it into the dirty clothes pile at the foot of the bed, “Did you see the page with the missing kid?”

“ _No. What page?_ ”

“Six I think.”

Slowly pulling the pages apart, I quickly came to the sixth page where, sure enough, there in the center of the right side was a picture of a young boy, probably 12 years of age or so. It seemed to be a school photo of sorts, distorted and warped due to the thick black ink they use to print on newspapers. Missing for 3 days, he was last seen walking home from school in front of a convenience store about a quarter-mile away from where we lived. The phone number of the family and police department were listed for anyone with information to call, as one would expect.

“ _Yet another missing kid. Poor lad._ ”

“I was thinking about a little safari.” He began as he slipped out of his jeans and into his warm flannel pajamas, “With the PD’s blessing, of course.”

“ _Sounds like fun, but what if I told you that I have a better idea?_ ”

“Oh?” He began, his curiosity piqued, “And what might that be?”

“ _How about we take some time off?_ ” I asked plainly, folding up and tossing the newspaper to the floor.

“You can’t be serious.”

“ _I’m absolutely serious._ ”

“Well...” He began, taking a deep breath as he began crawling up onto the bed.

“ _Well what?_ ”

“There’s still a lot of paperwork to sort out. That, and I’d like to get a few more cases in befo-”

“ _The paperwork can be done by the others._ ” I said firmly, placing my hand on his bare chest and pushing him down onto the bed.

“Bills don’t pay themselves though.” He shrugged, resting his head on his pillow.

“ _We’ve been running ourselves ragged for the last two months. We deserve a break, Nic._ ”

“We won’t move up in this world if we don’t work hard, Willow.”

“ _And our sanity won’t recover if we don’t take some time off to ourselves._ ”

“Sanity is overrated.” He scoffed, rolling his eyes, “Besides ,we-”

I pressed my finger firmly against his lips, cutting him off, “ _Shh. I’ll hear no more of it. We’re taking some time off together and that’s it._ ”

“Just like that, huh?” He mumbled.

“ _Just like that._ ” I stated, taking my hand away and resting my head on his shoulder, “ _Now turn on the TV, I want to watch a movie together._ ”

“What kind?” He asked, turning it one with a press of the remote.

I shoved one of my arms under his pillow, and rested the other free one across his smooth body, the warm feeling of his embrace making the last ounces of anxiety that littered my mind melt away.

“ _Anything that doesn’t require me to think much._ ”


	5. Next Stop: Dreamfields, Rainclouds, and More Than You Bargained For

Lushful scenery of vibrant colors pranced and frolicked in and out of my vision, heralding scenes and oddities beyond what my conscious mind was capable of. Images of places and people flashed by my vision, vanishing as quickly as they came in a primal dance perfectly choreographed within my mind to some tune that was beyond the understanding of my ears. Peaceful. It felt as if I was freefalling into eternity, weightless and carefree as the chaotic amalgamations of my mind played themselves seemingly at random; directionless and wayward.

As if to land ever so softly on to a cloud, the wormhole of my imagination slowly laid me down into a vast sea of wheat, with several tree canopies lining the distance. The dirt in my hands felt like velvet as I pushed myself from the ground, staring eye to eye with the tall stalks of wheat that swayed gently in a breeze that I could not feel. Pristine and aqua, the sky stretched on above forever in every direction, illuminating everything beneath it’s domain in a pleasant light, no sun to be seen.

Long stalks parted ways beside me as I drifted aimlessly through the crisp golden field, meandering wherever my soul willed. Such enrapturing scenery had me in a trance, pulling me around the vast sea of vegetation ever so lightly. Like a time lapse video, the sky above quickly shifted from it’s beautiful blue and into a tantalizing darkness barren of any stars. As if the world itself was beginning to become hostile to me, my breathing suddenly became more difficult as the darkness began to encroach from every angle, the trees in the distance disappearing. My body fought against the betraying scenery as closer and closer the darkness grew, until all that remained was but a handful of wheat stalks around me, the breath ripped from my lungs.

I awoke to darkness, and something covering my face. An adrenaline fueled wave surged through my body as I thrashed and kicked, throwing the pillow off my face. Heart racing and light sweat dripping from my head, I sat myself straight up to the sight of Nic, who was putting on some clothes, the room dimly lit by the light on the ceiling.

“Wake up, buttercup.” He remarked, slipping into a pair of jeans.

Fear fueled anxiety quickly gave way anger as I picked up the pillow and pelted Nic as hard as I could with it.

“ _Must you **always** so crudely wake me up!?_”

He offered no response other than sniveling laughter as I grunted and turned my eyes to the digital clock on the bedside. 1:12am.

“ _What on earth are you doing up at this hour of night!?_ ”

“Just got a call from the chief. They need us there urgently.”

“ _Do you not remember what we agreed upon last night!?_ ” I pressed, growing more agitated by the second.

“I remember, but it is Friday after all. We’ll do this thing the chief needs, then we’ll call it a vacation.”

He stared at me, expecting some sort of affirmative nod, but received only a jarring glare that persisted for a few long moments before he finally cracked.

“Fine...” He began, letting loose a deep sigh, “I _promise_ we’ll call it a vacation.”

“ _Good._ ”

Still a little fuzzy-brained from the rude awakening, I stretched my arms, reluctantly prying myself from the warm embrace of the blankets. My sight still danced with odd visions and colors that only seemed to disappear once I rubbed my eyes nice and hard. I pushed myself from the comforting cloud of mattresses only when my heart had finally stopped racing.

“ _Did he say what he needed?_ ”

“Nope, but he assured me that it was important, and they’d pay well.”

“ _I can’t imagine what would happen to warrant such incentives._ ”

“Me neither, but the chief didn’t seem much too pleased to be awake at this hour either, so if the PD had to wake him up-”

“ _Then this could be something big._ ”

Nic cast me an assuring wink, “My thoughts exactly.”

-

Sounds of light rain tapping against the windshield of the car was the only sound to be heard as our ride was spent in mutual silence. Neon signs and dim street lights lit up small sections of the road and sidewalks where not another soul was to be seen, leaving the area feeling like some abandoned city. I liked to spend my time in these kinds of car rides staring solemnly at the small little rivers of water that flowed freely into the drains of the road, carrying all sorts of oddities with them. This, and looking at the dark, empty storefronts of the many stores that had long since closed for the late night.

While it may not seem like much, and it isn’t, such quaint sights were usually enough to entertain me until we got to the precinct which laid not too far from where we lived. It was surrounded on all sides by small businesses that offered wide varieties of things, from restaurants to psychic readings; a quaint little block that often reminds me of the main streets of the many small towns that dot the nearby landscape, although not quite as barren as it sat at this hour. An aura of solemnness radiated from all directions; a light shadow that seemed to slowly weave its way around the buildings and lights, into every crack and alleyway of the city. I’ve always had a deference for darkness, as the allure of dark solitude was one that seems to enrapture me the most, and while I wouldn’t want to be walking outside in this weather, it still seemed to beckon me all the same.

Pulling into the precinct, the atmosphere of the parking lot echoed the same sentiment of nearby buildings: Dark and empty, with the exception of a few cars parked seemingly at random. It’s ominous expanse was only dimly lit by the streetside sign, complemented by the misty, cold drizzle that made the light’s reflections dance in peculiar ways on the tar. In front of us was the back entrance of the building; a single, unmarked metal door with a flickering light above that served as a luminous beacon in the deafening night time darkness.

“Time to see what all the fuss is about...” Nic sighed, turning the engine off with a click. We both stepped out of his car and into the chilly night, where the cold drizzle pelted us like tiny little pellets that made my hair stand on end. Content to not spend more time in the frigid rain than necessary, we made fast pace towards the door, pressing the buzzer immediately when we reached it. After a few moments that felt like an hour, the door clicked, allowing us to enter into the warm interior that gusted at our faces that moment we breached the doorway. We took a second to shake the water off of ourselves, our cheeks running rosy red as they warmed.

“ **Nic, I’ll meet you near the interrogation room.** ” The speaker next to us blared loudly. Wasting no time, Nic began to make a fast pace down the barren lengthy hallway, turning left at its end with me following closely behind. Right in the heart of the building sat the interrogation room, where Chief Castillo stood patiently outside the door. With a friendly wave, he beckoned us over to him.

“Good timing!” He shouted with a friendly tone.

“We’re nothing if not efficient!” Nic shouted back.

“Is that your motto or something?”

Nic shrugged, “Not exactly, but it’s close enough.”

The chief chuckled to himself, opening the door to the observation room, “Come in, I need you to sign some stuff.”

“You woke me in the middle of the night to make me do your paperwork?” Nic remarked playfully.

“Nah, I got secretaries for that.”

A curious sight there in the observation room fell upon my eyes; the one-way mirror had it’s blinds down, obscuring whatever was in the other room. All the lights were dimmed and the only thing that stood out in the whole room was a single piece of paper with a pen next to it on the table.

“Alright, what are we signing?”

“An NDA.”

Nic cast him a confused look, “NDA? Is it that serious?”

“Yes. I’ll fill you in on the details once you sign it.” He stated, pushing the paper on the table towards him.

“Well, if you insist...” Nic shrugged, leaning over and giving the paper a thorough read. My concern, however, was not with the paper, but rather with the chief. His heart was pounding in his chest, small beads of sweat visible at his hairline. Nervous. Uncertain. His hands shook ever so lightly while his right eye twitched. However clouded his mind was though, it was to be noted that his eyes reflected more certainty than the rest of him. While he may not be the biggest fan of our methods, he seemed to think that we would be able to do what he needed, whatever that may be.

_You can’t hide your desperation from me, chief._

“So, that’s it?” Nic asked, standing upright.

“That’s it.” He nodded, quickly picking up the paper and folding it into one of his pockets.

“Alright, so what’s the deal?”

The chief heaving in a large breath of air, “So... we staked out the dead drop.”

“And...?”

“We caught the person responsible for the whole statue charade.”

“Alright, what do you need out of him?”

“Before you do anything just... just take a look at this. You wouldn't believe me unless I showed you.”

Lazily shuffling his feet to the shades, he began to hoist them upwards, revealing a dark interrogation room with a solitary man sitting in the chair. Stoic. Disappointed.

“You’re kidding...” Nic stated in complete disbelief, his mouth agape with eyes as wide as dinner plates.

Letting loose a heavy sigh, Chief Castillo shook his head, “Wish I was Nic.”

The older man’s eyes darted curiously around the dark room, analyzing his surroundings. His eyes were those of one who had travelled much, as stalwart as they were inquisitive. Despite being handcuffed and alone in the dark room, his mind showed little weakness. This was a solid man built sturdier than most, and with a physique none-too the contrary either despite looking like he could be in his fifties.

“You mean to tell me the _**champion**_ is in on this?”

Solemnly, the chief nodded.

Nic threw his head back, “I figured it would be something big, but...”

“Not this big?”

“Yeah...”

“Trust me, my boys were as surprised as you are.”

Nic shook his head, taking a moment to process just what exactly was going on, “Why do you need us exactly? Wouldn’t it be easier to use your own men?”

“On a normal day, yes. But this isn’t a normal day, and he isn’t a normal prisoner. He and I both want to keep this as far under the radar as we possibly can.”

“But why though?”

“Because Alder said that someone is pulling his strings.”

A brief silence fell upon the room, leaving Nic to take a seat in one of the chairs, overwhelmed. It appears we now found ourselves climbing a ladder that seemed to lead up to something that I felt we might be better off not sticking our business in.

“Listen, we struck a deal with him, alright? As long as he cooperates and tells us all he knows, we agreed to look the other way in this whole ordeal. I just need to make sure what he tells us is the truth.”

“And that’s where we come in...” Nic remarked with a sigh, casting his vision into the room where the older man seemed to be growing minutely bored.

“Precisely. No tricks. No tomfoolery.”

Nic slowly turned his eyes up to me, “What do you think, Willow?”

“ _He’s just another man to me. It makes no difference._ ”

With one final breath, Nic heaved himself up and stretched his back, donning his flat cap, “Lead the way, oh captain my captain.” He proclaimed with mild uncertainty.

We made our collective way into the hallway single file, waiting patiently as the Chief Castillo unlocked the large door, slowly pulling it open. Flickering on, the motion sensitive lights inside lit up the entire room, giving a newfound brilliance to the old man’s long, orange hair. Anxious. Curious.

“So, what’s the verdict?” His deep voice inquired.

“It’s a deal, Alder.”

“Good.” He muttered with a sigh of relief, turning his vision over to me and Nic once the chief sat himself across from him, “Who are these two?”

“Friends. Don’t worry, they signed an NDA and I can vouch for them. You can trust them as much as you can trust me.”

“It’s an honor, Mr. Champion.” Nic remarked, tipping his hat.

“Is it though? I’m the one bound in cuffs here.” The old man chuckled to himself.

“My name’s Nic, spelled N-I-C, and this is my partner Willow, we run a private investigative company here in Driftveil.”

His eyes then turned to me, looking me up and down. Dazzled.

“You’re a beauty.” He remarked with a slight grin.

_Looks can kill, old man. But you already know that, don’t you?_

“ _Tell him I said thank you._ ”

“She says thanks.”

I performed a little curtsey before walking over to the old man’s side, his eyes continuing to look me over as if to prod at me for weakness.

“Mind if I ask why you two are here? Surely if it’s an investigation, the chief would like to keep other hands out of this as much as possible.”

_Smart. You catch on quicker than the rest._

“She’s acting as a lie detector of sorts.” The chief piped in.

“Ah. Insurance.” He realized, leaning back in his chair, “Makes sense.”

“So then, let’s get to it, shall we?"

"I suppose now is a better time than any."

"Take it from the top Alder, why’d you do it?”

“Blackmail.” He stated plainly, unmoving.

“Do you know who or what is blackmailing you?”

“I’m not exactly sure. The individual never revealed himself, but by the way they wrote their letter, it makes me think they might be part of Team Plasma.”

“Oh brother...” Nic sighed, shaking his head. Both of them passed Nic a curious glance that seemed to echo the same sentiment. Even I found myself agreeing with Nic’s remark, oh brother indeed.

"I'm not entirely sure, keep in mind this is just me speculating. Could be anyone that doesn't like me for all I know." He shrugged.

“When did this happen?”

“About a week or so ago.” He began. His mind was still rock solid and stable like the bastion of a large castle. Calm. If he was lying, he would truly have to be a master to remain like this, “I received a letter in the mail detailing some fairly incriminating stuff about me with instructions on what to do with the statue.”

“Did they say what exactly would happen if you didn’t comply?”

“They made no note of what they would do, only that they had that incriminating information. I assumed they would leak it if I didn’t comply, so I decided to roll with it.”

There wasn’t so much as a single twitch on any one of the hairs on his head or arms as he spoke. The closer and more intently I observed, the more I began to convince myself that this man was himself a statue as well. Unwavering, even at the prospect of watching his whole life collapse before him.

“Interesting... So they wanted you to steal the statue in the gym?”

“Indeed, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. I would have just bought it from Clay if it weren’t for the fact that the instructions indicated that I had to be discrete.”

“Did they say why?”

“Nope. Just wanted it done quietly and secretly.”

As solid as ever, nothing changed on his expression or in his mind to lead me to think that he was lying in any capacity. Unconvinced, the chief turned his eyes up to me with an inquisitive glare, to which I responded with a quick nod.

“Very well. Why’d you hire the kid?”

“He was just meant to be a fall guy if it all went south, nothing more.”

“Just a means to an end?”

In that moment, I saw a faint fragment of himself waver. Regret. He briefly cast his vision aside, before turning back up to the chief.

“Yeah."

“If I may, captain?” Nic piped up, interrupting their interrogation. Nic’s demeanor had changed significantly. He had that look on his face he got whenever his mind started to buzz like a Beedrill nest. Something was cooking in his mind, and it showed itself in his restless legs and intensely focused glare that pleaded for the captain to hear him out.

“What is it?”

“I would like to investigate the statue. I have a hunch about something...”


	6. Lost and Found

The dull smell of damp, cold concrete and sawdust was pungent in my nose as we descended down the steep staircase. Lights flickered even more dimly than those in the interrogation room, making our climb downwards slightly hazardous. Chief Castillo had led the way into the cramped underbelly of the PD where evidence lockers lined the walls and boxes stacked to the ceiling filled any spaces not taken by the ladder. It was like a maze of file cabinets and storage lockers of varying sizes, akin almost to something out of a nightmare of sorts. Nic was just tall enough as to not hit his head off of the floorboards above, ducking and dodging only when the long luminescent lights that hung lazily from aged wires and warped wood impeded his path.

Even in this unclean atmosphere, that curious look still lingered in the intense eyes of Nic, whose vision was focused like a laser upon one of the lockers that the chief began to unlock. Haphazardly wrapped in a garbage bag, Chief Castillo hoisted the covered statue and carefully laid it down on to the table next to us, letting out a deep sigh. Warped and flimsy, the top of the table began to bend to the weight of it.

“Heavy, huh?”

“Yeah, thing isn’t exactly made of clouds.”

“May I?” Nic inquired.

“Be my guest.” The chief motioned.

Slowly and meticulously, Nic began to pull up on the black plastic bag until it slid off of the statue. It stood perhaps a foot tall, and depicted a Krookodile standing in a victorious pose upon a set of stairs. The color was a dull gray, yet polished and, despite it’s odd coloration, was actually quite a pleasant piece of art to look at. 

Nic, however, was not as impressed as I was. Much like how a potential buyer would look into every nook and cranny of a car that they were looking to purchase, Nic began to look the statue over on all sides, his intense glare never once blinking. It’s clear he saw something with this statue, and continued his hounding for several long moments. It was obvious he was trying to find a fault or clue on this piece of artistry, although to what extent and what kind eluded my wits. With a step back, Nic began to stare at it from a distance, perplexed.

“So...?” The chief began to prod before he was promptly shushed by Nic. Absolute silence was only ever a requirement for Nic whenever he was thinking intensely, and such circumstances reflected themselves in his posture and his puzzled face.

“Can I touch it?”

“Well...” The chief began with a sigh in uncertainty, “We already got Alder so... I guess. Just don’t get too crazy, okay?”

‘Okay’ was all that Nic needed or wanted to hear, and immediately started fondling the statue, running his index finger across its surface. His eyes were fixated on it like he was in a trance-like daydream, staring blankly as he slowly caressed it across all of it’s surfaces. Then, without hesitating, he began to pick the statue up, bouncing it in his arms as if he was cradling a baby.

“ _What are you doing?_ ”

My question, naturally, fell upon deaf ears as he continued his odd handling of the statue. After a short moment he got a puzzled look on his face, placing it back down on to the table where he began to stare at it once more. Curiously, he leaned in close to the statue, and gave it a slight lick in a manner that a curious pokémon would first lick something they were given to eat.

_What the hell..._

“Uhh... Nic?”

“It’s concrete.” He stated firmly and plainly, standing straight up, “Can you fetch me a wrench or a hammer or something?” Nic prodded at the chief before he could formulate a response.

“And just what exactly are you planning on doing with it?”

“You’ll see.” Nic assured.

The chief sighed and shook his head, “This had better be good...”

Groggily, he waltzed into one of the nearby rooms where the sounds of rummaging could be heard. All the while, Nic’s inquisitive stare never left that of the statue, and didn’t so much as even consider saying something to me before the chief walked back into the room with a small ball peen hammer in hand that he promptly handed to Nic.

“Don’t hurt yourself.” The chief teased, handing the hammer to Nic who grabbed it instantly. With no words or warning, he immediately stood over the statue and began lightly tapping it with the hammer in various parts. A curious look fell upon his face with one particular strike, which prompted him to put his ear closer to it as he continually tapped the same spot for a long while. It began to have a rhythmic tone to it, almost seeming as if Nic was trying to hypnotize himself with his own odd behavior.

Then he placed the hammer on the table, and stood himself back up, picking up the statue in his hands again. Shaking it more violently this time, he kept his ear to it, and it suddenly occurred to me just what it was he was doing exactly. It only made itself apparent once a soft clunking noise could be heard from inside the statue, like something was ever so slightly jostling around inside. Minutely content with his find, Nic placed the statue back on to the table.

“ _What do you think is inside, Nic?_ ”

Casting me a sly grin from the side, he leaned in close to the statue, and began to knock at it with the hammer once again. A perplexing visage crawled upon his face as he stood back up and stared at the statue. Fiddling with the hammer in his hand for a short moment, he winded his arm back and pelted the statue in one grand swing that sent it shattering in a cloud of dust and debris that scattered onto the floor. I was so taken aback by the sight that the noise had thoroughly startled me, making my heart skip a beat.

“What the-!?” The police chief began yelling in shock, “ **What the ever-loving _fuck_ is wrong with you!?**”

Nic paid no heed to the bluster of the chief, and instead began to rummage in the center of the shattered statue that had now been shown to be hollow. Furious, the chief ran to Nic and yanked at his arm, prying it from inside the statue. Nic, however, had a firm grasp on the item that was in the statue, and it was pulled out with his arm. What sat in his palm there made both the chief and I go limp as we stared. A ball with a beautiful purple coating, perpendicular pink attachments, and a white ‘M’ carved on to the front. There was no mistaking it.

“My goodness...” The chief began.

“It appears...” Nic began, pulling his arm away from the chief, “That whoever is pulling the strings here... has some less than savory plans.”

Nic held it up into the dim light, letting its tantalizing purple hue entrance us all before he placed it down on to the table.

“Clearly this statue was simply a front for smuggling this little bastard somewhere, and just happened to find itself in the company of our dear friends Clay and Alder.” Nic stated simply, as if it was some obvious fact.

“I guess so...” The chief agreed in a monotone haze, still in shock at the find.

“The question now is, who would want this, and why?”

“ _You don’t think Clay could be the one-_ ”

“No, I don’t think Clay is to blame here.”

“But we sure as hell better figure out what he knows.” The chief added.

Nic shrugged and let out a sigh, “I doubt Clay would know much, but hopefully we can trace back where he got it from.”

The three of us stared for a short moment at the master ball there on the table, contemplating many things. I myself was worried about why one would want to use such a tool, and what that would mean if it fell into the wrong hands. While I sincerely doubt anyone would use such a thing on me, the possibility lingered in my mind as most worst possible scenarios tend to.

“ _You know Dave’s going to want this, right?_ ”

Nic cast me an exhausted look, as he knew as well as well as I did that he had to try and obtain this ball and keep it out of PD custody. Such an effort would no doubt be fruitless, but the wrath of Dave is not something to trifle with.

“So, you need me to talk to Clay?” Nic began.

“Well... My boys could do it...” He began, giving Nic an awkward look, “But you seem to have a bigger knack for this stuff than anyone here...”

“I can handle the investigation, if that’s what you’re asking.”

“Only if you think you can handle it.” The chief shrugged.

“There isn’t much Willow and I can’t do together, so we’ll take it.”

“ _Need I remind you...?_ ”

“Oh, there is one thing though.”

“Hm?” The chief raised his eyebrow.

“We’re going on vacation after today, so I won’t be able to pick up the case in full until next Monday.” Nic said with a casual grin. The chief leaned back in deep thought, his eyes darting around the room as the gears of his mind turned.

“That... should be fine. I have a lot of stuff to square away with Alder and the kid anyways, so that will help us straighten everything out before we move on. As far as the statue is concerned...”

They both cast their vision to the shattered remains of the concrete sculpture which lay strewn about in pieces all across the table and floor.

“I'll tell Clay I’ll get him a new one.” Nic said, patting the chief on the back. In a nonchalant motion, Nic reached down to the master ball and put his hand around it, getting ready to put it into one of his pockets before the chief grabbed his arm.

“I can’t let you have that, Nic.”

“Well I’m going to need it for the investigation.” Nic insisted. Not having any of it, the chief gave Nic an intense glare, tightening his grip on Nic’s arm. Since making a scene was the last thing Nic wanted to do here, he placed the ball on the table which promptly let the chief release his power grip.

“If I can’t have it, at least let me have access to it if I need it.”

“That’s fine, but it stays here.” The chief asserted.

_This isn’t going to end well..._

“Fine by me. Once you lock it up, let’s head back up to Alder. I have a few more things I want to ask him before we head out."

“I have him by the balls, so ask any questions you can now while we have him where we want him.” The chief picked up the master ball and walked to one of the lockers, promptly opening it up. I stared as the chief closed the master ball behind the locker, taking mental note of just exactly where it was.

“ _394\. Rusted hinges._ ”

Nic gave a very subtle nod right before the chief turned about and put his keys away. Without any more conversation, we began the trek back through the maze of files and back towards the staircase. As we ascended, I took in many deep breaths, knowing full well that we might be getting into serious shit we shouldn't be a part of.

Not that that's ever stopped us before.


	7. Fourteen Karat Cardio

“So, what you’re telling me is that the statue had a master ball in it?” Alder remarked in a worried tone, a sentiment that could be felt and seen in his soul and on his face. He pressed his hands against his head and shook it solemnly, now understanding the gravity of what was now transpiring.

“Yes. Did you know about it Alder?” The chief continued.

“Of course not!”

Behind his stalwart visage I saw but a brief glimpse of wavering within his mind. So faint it was, that had I not been paying careful attention, I would have easily missed it. I quickly threw my hand up and halted their conversation, giving the old man a long, deep stare. I knew what I saw, but I also intended to make it clear that I could not be fooled in any capacity, no matter how much he wished.

“ _There was a lie in there somewhere Nic._ ” I remarked quickly. His eyes went wide for a quick second, before looking back over to the old man.

“The misses here says you’re not telling the whole truth. What gives Alder?”

Casting his vision aside, he let out a short sigh, his shoulders going slump. He remained silent for a short moment, before the snapping of my fingers brought him back to reality.

“Alright. I _didn’t_ know there was a master ball in it, but I had a strange feeling that something wasn’t right about the statue.”

Slowly, the tiny ripple and distortion in his soul began to correct itself.

“Such as?”

He shrugged, “How often do people try to steal a small statue for no reason?”

“You have a point...”

“Besides, you tend to assume the worst when you’re coerced into stealing something, even if it’s as mundane as a that fragile little thing.”

The slight shift and tear in his soul completely realigned itself with the fabric of his being, returning to the faultless stone wall it was just moments before. I gave Nic a light nod, letting him know that he had corrected his misdeed. Turning attention back to the old man, my eyes were met with him staring at me, with a slight smirk on his face.

“You’ve got quite the eye there, young lady.”

“Comes with the job.” Nic affirmed as I cast Alder a flirtatious wink.

“We’ll, if she comes with the work, consider me hired!”

_Flattery will get you far in life, old man._

I giggled as Nic rolled his eyes at his statement, which in turn managed to get a sensible chuckle out of the old man as well.

“Be careful what you wish for.” Nic remarked with a sigh.

“Oh don’t worry, I don’t do much of that at my age any more.” Alder said with a smirk, returning my wink in kind. As the atmosphere began to relax, Chief Castillo let out a rapturous cough that grabbed the attention of everyone in that dark room. 

“What’s up chief?” Nic asked.

“No need to be getting too chummy. We still have a lot of work to do.”

“Overall yes, but I think our business here is coming to its conclusion. Alder here has spilled all the beans he can, isn’t that right?”

“Yessir.” Alder replied, sitting himself upright. His mind, body and soul remained uniform and solid. Looking to Nic, I gave him a slight nod.

“See?”

“Well...” The chief began with an exaggeratedly inquisitive look, “Burglary is no small crime...”

“Quit teasing chief, we made a deal.” Alder remarked, his happy visage quickly turning to one of discontent.

“Alright alright...” He began, taking in a deep breath, “You’re free to go, Alder, but now without conditions.”

“Name ‘em.”

“I need you to stay here in Driftveil for a bit.”

“How long is a 'bit'?”

“Well, I have some things to square away with this whole case, and I need you here when I need the T’s crossed and the I’s dotted.”

“And how long will that take?”

“Probably the next two weeks. Maybe longer.”

With his serious grimace now turning sour, the old man rolled his eyes in frustration, “It couldn’t possibly take two week to straighten this crap out!”

“Hey, be thankful I’m even doing this **at all** , _Champion_.” Chief Castillo responded in kind, the tone of his voice raising.

“I know, I know...” He began to concede, “I just don’t want to miss my grandson’s birthday. He’s turning ten you know!”

“A big occasion.” He nodded.

Alder leaned in with a more serious look on his face, the energies within him swirling like a frothy mixture of malcontent, “The biggest.”

“Well, maybe you should have thought about that before you decided to become a criminal.” The Chief replied, giving him a pat on the back. With nasty scowl, he threw himself back in his chair knowing full well that the chief had him by the balls. Discontent.

“Don’t worry though, you’ll have free reign to move about the city, just don’t try and leave.” The chief warned as he began walking over to the other side of the table where the old man sat. He leaned forward and unlocked his cuffs, letting his arms move freely and without restrictions. Before he stood up, I caught wind of the chief leaning into Alder’s ear with a serious scowl.

“ _And trust me, I’ll know if you do._ ”

_You’re not exactly subtle, are you chief?_

“Thanks, Chief.” The old man replied in a monotone voice.

“Don’t mention it. Just remember, you’re free only because of our arrangement. Don’t screw this up.”

“I wouldn’t think about it.”

Still as solid as ever, his mind remained unmoving. Relief.

“Although, I _would_ like to ask something.”

Chief Castillo raised an eyebrow, “Hm?”

“I know I’m in no position to be making requests but, would you mind letting the kid go?”

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a small smile begin to curl it’s way upon Nic’s lips as his eyes opened wide like a predator who had just spotted it’s prey. He continued his aggressive posturing, staring at the chief until he slumped his shoulders as he let loose an audible sigh, the fabric of his being beginning to waver.

_That’s right. Do the right thing. You know you want to._

“You two are killing me...”

“I’m the one to blame for all of this and you know it. You have me right where you want me. Let the kid go, Chief.”

“ _The kid may as well be a bystander in all of this, anyways._ ”

He shook his head lightly, before casting his vision to the side.

“The higher ups will have my head for this...”

Much in the manner a tree bent by the weight of snow cracks and breaks, so too did the chief’s will to argue and fight against his own idea of justice. He knew that, deep down, keeping the kid here was the wrong move, even if this whole ordeal with Alder was to be kept under wraps.

“Fine. I’ll let him go.” He finally conceded.

Both Alder and Nic shared a congratulatory smirk with each other as the chief resigned himself to the whim of those before him.

“So, with that squared away, I don’t suppose I could ask you two fine gentlemen if there are any motels nearby I can lay low at for a little while.” Alder interjected.

“There’s a quaint little place up the road by the gas station.”

“That, or you could stay with us.” Nic offered plainly. His statement threw me for a loop, as while Nic may have a kind heart, he was never really one for charity work.

“ _You’re seriously just going to make an offer like that?_ ”

“Oh no Mr. Nic, I wouldn’t want to impose!”

“No, it’s fine!” Nic started, his tone growing friendlier, “To be quite honest, I’ve always kind of been a fan. It would humble me if you stayed at our business place.”

“Seriously, you two don’t have to do that!”

_Trust me, I know._

“I won’t take no for an answer.” Nic affirmed, maintaining his imposing stance. Alder leaned back in his chair, stirring his mind and contemplating his choices.

“Well... I suppose it would save me some money...” He began pondering, turning his sight to the chief, “As long as you don’t mind, that is.”

“Makes no difference to me.” He shrugged.

“Well, screw it. I guess I’ll hunker down at your place then.”

“Excellent!” Nic practically cheered as his fatigue was now hidden behind a gleeful exterior, “The place is kind of small, but we have a spare bedroom we use as storage you can stay in.”

“Does it have a TV?” He asked, prying himself from the chair.

“Of course.”

“Perfect. As long as I'm entertained, that’s all I care about.”

_Oh, you’ll get more than your fair share of entertainment old man. You can count on it._

-

“ _So what are we waiting for exactly?_ ”

“Be patient.”

“ _It’s rude to keep our guest waiting._ ”

“It won’t be long!” Nic responded, his agitation growing, “Just... wait a few minutes, okay?”

“If I may?” Alder spoke up from the back seat, interjecting our conversation.

“What is it?”

“Pardon me if I’m getting this wrong but, are you two talking with each other?!” The old man asked in complete bewilderment.

Nic let out a sigh, “Yeah, unfortunately.”

“ _Watch your tongue._ ”

“That’s remarkable! I’ve never heard of anything like that! How do you do it?”

“Well, it’s mostly that she can talk to me.”

“Still though, you don’t see something like that every day! Could you two _always_ talk with each other?”

“ _Tell him it was an accident or something._ ”

“It was an accident. That’s all I’ll say.”

“Oh...” The old man replied, unsure of how to respond.

“Don’t worry, it was some time ago.”

“I won’t press the issue...” He began, a short silence befalling the car, “How long have you two been together?”

Nic thought for a short moment, doing the math, “Something like 9 years or so.”

"That’s quite a while.”

“ _Don’t say it._ ”

“Too long if you ask me.”

_I swear, sometimes with you..._

“I can only imagine what she’s saying to you right now with that look on her face!.” Alder chuckled, “You two must argue worse than a married couple.”

I felt my face begin to go slightly warm with embarrassment at the sentiment that the old man would even assume us to be married. Such a thought almost made my stomach knot and twist itself out of my abdomen.

“ _I’d sooner drink bleach than get married to you._ ”

“It certainly feels like we’re a married couple sometimes with how much we work together.” Nic responded in an attempt to ignore my remark.

“Well, don’t wait on my account!”

A quick shiver went down my spine as Nic and I both glared back at him in united discontent.

"Was it something I said?” He asked, perplexed, putting his hands up.

As we adjusted ourselves back into our seats, the front door to the PD slowly slid open, revealing a short silhouette illuminated only by the lights in the main waiting area, yet still concealed by the rain that continued to pour.

“That’s our cue.” Nic said intently, quickly opening up the door and getting out of the car before I had a chance to object. With a sigh, I too pried myself from the warmed interior of his beater and quickly galloped through the frigid rain to the front of the PD. Like little icicle pellets, the rain stung and froze my skin with each step, urging me to run faster.

“Hey kid!” Nic shouted out as we slowly came into the light. Unamused, he rolled his eyes and let out a sigh.

“What do _you_ two want!?”

“Hey, I just wanted to say that I’m sorry for our schtick yesterday.” Nic started, his breaths labored.

“Yeah, whatever...”

“I also wanted to give you this.”

Quickly, he reached into one of his pockets and began rummaging around. Within a moment, he produced his wallet, opening it up and pulling a crisp, clean $1000 bill, unmolested by either light or rain.

“ _Uh... You can’t possibly..._ ”

“For you.” Nic said with a small smile, holding out the bill for him. The kid looked at the bill for a short moment. Confused. Puzzled.

“Is this another one of your tricks?” He scoffed.

“Not at all.”

Turning his vision up to Nic, his disposition turned from one of confusion, to one of thankfulness. Slowly, he reached out and pulled the bill from his hand, staring at it in silence for a short moment.

“Why would you do this?” The little boy inquired, his eyes not leaving the money.

“I’ve been in your shoes before, kid. I know what it’s like.”

“But you don’t have to give me this...”

“Consider it a down payment.”

Looking through his wallet once more, he pulled from within one of his business cards, handing it to him. With an even more confused look, he gave it a quick look over.

“What’s this?”

“A job offer. You’re a good kid, and I could use an extra hand at the office. And if you’re good at it, there’s more where _that_ came from.” Nic enticed, pointing to the decent sum of money now crumpled up in the kid’s hand. 

_What the hell has gotten into him?_

As if someone had just thoroughly stunned him, the kid blinked in disbelief for a short moment, his brain trying to process all that had just happened. Grateful. Overwhelmed.

“Next Monday. 10am. I’ll show you around.”

Without any more words, Nic turned his back to the kid, beginning his speedy walk back to the car. 

“Oh, and get yourself some nice shoes with that!” He shouted back in one final wave goodbye, more worried about dodging raindrops than sticking around with the howling frigid air. Awkwardly, the kid and I both shared a quick glance at each other, looking one another over once more. It wasn’t until I saw him now in the light that I now understood just how downtrodden this poor kid was. Shoes with no soles, sweatshirt and pants with holes riddled all about them. If he were any older, he could easily pass as one of hundreds of homeless people that wander the downtown area. With a small smile, I gave him a little wave as I turned to brave the cold rain myself once more.

“W-wait!”

His wail stopped me in my tracks as the cold rain assaulted every nerve ending on my skin. Slowly, I turned back to face him as he stared curiously at my slender figure.

"Do you really like me?”

I am many things, but a liar is not one of them. I wanted to tell him he was just one of hundreds that I played with like a little puppet on strings. Like a little toy, manipulated and juggled about like some sort of carnival freak. Yet even there, in the cold wind under the overhang, frayed clothes swaying with the breeze his aura was hopeful and friendly, like an abandoned puppy in an alleyway dumpster.

It almost made me sad that I couldn’t tell him, but it’s not like me to leave a wanting soul out in the cold, both literally and figuratively. With a wink, I quickly blew him a kiss, quickly turning around and making pace back to the car before my extremities froze solid. With the clicking and firing of the engine in front of me, my beacon of heat and comfort welcomed me with open arms as I sat myself in the warm chair of the front seat once more. As we pulled away from the parking spot, the sight of the boy smiling there under the overhang at the entrance caught my eyes, his happy little face lit up by the warm lights of the interior. As cold as my heart may be, knowing I made a lonely kid feel not so lonely any more seemed to make a small spark click itself to life in the core of my soul.

And there in my reflection on the door window, I caught myself smiling, even if it was just a little bit.


	8. Madmen

As the front door creaked shut, closing with a satisfying click, my eyes that were once adjusted to the dark were instantly blinded by the bright lights in the main room as they turned on, leaving color marks trailing through the center of my vision. Like an old refrigerator, the lights greeted us with an ominous humming that seemed to match the old damp smell that permeated through the halls of the building amid the rain storm.

“Well, here we are. I know it’s not much, but-”

“It’s home.” Alder nodded.

“Precisely.” Nic began with a smile, slowly removing his rain soaked jacket, “As you can see, this is the main area, don’t mind the papers piled on the desk.”

“No worries, I have a keen aversion to paperwork myself.”

_Natural friends, it seems._

“Who has time for paperwork when there’s more interesting stuff to do, am I right?”

“Exactly! That’s what I tell all the people at the league who hound me about paperwork and paperwork! Most of the shit doesn’t even mean anything!”

“You mean you don’t even get your own secretary?”

“I do. Several, actually, but it still isn’t enough. The piles of papers sprout like hydreigon heads. Where one dies-”

“Several take its place.” Nic finished with an exhausted chuckle, “What I wouldn’t give for a few more secretaries around this place, let me tell you...”

“Trust me, it just turns from piles of paper, to endless phone calls from the office. Be thankful that paper is _all_ you have to worry about.”

“I’ll take your word for it. It seems the life of a champion must not be as fun as it looks.”

“Not even close, Nic. Not even close.” The old man responded, a modicum of weariness washing over him, “In all honesty, I’ve been thinking of getting out for some time now.”

“That bad huh?” Nic remarked, making pace toward the hallway door.

“It’s just not enjoyable. I’d much prefer to spend my time with my loved ones than slaving at desks or booking appointments.”

“I understand. There’s more to life than slaving away at your work.”

_Do you though, Nic? Do you **really** understand?_

In a small fit of frustration, I felt their meaningless dribble drown out as I began to think. Nic doesn’t even come close to understanding the sentiment that the old man put forth, and to see him saying he does is something that pinched quite the nerve in me. Still, though, maybe this old man might be of some use after all. As blind as he is, Nic isn’t stupid, and it’s clear he at least looks up to this man in some capacity. He could use someone besides myself to put his ridiculous work ethic into a frame where he can see how run ragged with work he truly is.

_You might yet have your uses, old man..._

Their conversation prattled on without a care in the world for the sleeping beast that made their home at the end of the hallway. Part of me wanted to leave it be and let Nic deal with him, but most of me felt bad if we inadvertently woke Dave up.

Not that it mattered much, as we would probably have to wake him up anyways.

“ _Nic, you should probably keep it down before-_ ”

Perfectly on cue, my sentence was cut short by the far door slowly creaking open. From within the pitch black room emerged the sight of a disgruntled and grizzly Dave looming in the shadow of his room, staring lazily at the three of us.

“ _The hell are you doing here at this time of night?_ ”

“Oh, Dave!” Nic proclaimed with glee, throwing his arms into the air, “We’re going to be having a guest here for the next little while!”

“ _W-what...?_ ” He asked in return, blinking his eyes in hazy confusion.

“Alder, this is Dave, one of my associates that lives here.”

“Hello Dave, pleasure to meet you!” Alder said happily, sticking his hand out, “I sure hope we didn’t wake you!”

Dave stood as still as a statue, staring at the old man’s hand. Unamused, he gave Alder a slice of his displeased grimace as he stared right into his eyes.

“Not a fan of handshakes? No problem!” Alder said awkwardly, retracting his hand.

“ _You two can’t be ser-_ ”

“Oh, silly me, I should have said something!” Nic began in an exaggerated tone, “You see, Dave here is mute, he can’t say much just so you’re aware.”

“Oh!” Alder responded, surprised, “Well, I certainly do apologize Dave, I didn’t mean any offense.”

Dave continued his unamused glare unrelenting, intent on making his displeasure known to Nic, making our new guest as uncomfortable as possible.

“ _You could at least be a **little** hospitable._” I nagged. If I was to keep this old man here, I would need Dave to, at the very least, not be actively hostile towards him. With a sigh, Dave rolled his eyes, holding out his hand so that Alder might get a solid grip on it. With a firm yet quick handshake, the formalities had now passed.

_Good boy._

“ _I heard that._ ” Dave remarked, turning his displeased eyes to me.

“So uh, where’s my room?” Alder asked awkwardly, scratching his head.

"Right here.” Nic stated, pointing to one of the doors we were standing next to.

“Oh, perfect!”

Slowly, Nic creaked the door open and flicked the switch, revealing the cluttered and haphazard arrangement of boxes filled to the brim with papers and junk. They began to chat to each other once again, leaving Dave and myself in the hallways with each other.

“ _You shouldn’t monologue so loudly. You never know who's listening._ ”

“ _I need **someone** to keep me sane around here, and who better for that than myself?_”

Dave chuckled to himself, a rare smile curling across the corner of his lips.

“ _Alder, was it?_ "

“ _Yes._ ”

“ _Interesting man..._ ” Dave noted, staring as the door to the room closed behind the two of them.

“ _He is the champion of Unova, after all._ ”

“ _I don’t care for that._ ” He stated plainly.

“ _Well, neither do I, but a man can’t rise to a prominent position like that on luck alone._ ”

He let out a slightly audible hum, affirming my sentiment.

“ _So, why are you two **really** here?_”

I echoed his mood by letting out a short sigh myself, casting my vision to the side.

“ _I’ll let Nic explain that one._ ”

“ _Oh-ho, this is going to be good..._ ”

Without another word, he lazily walked past me and into the room where the coffee machine lay. It took not but a second before the sound of the faucet running dwarfed the sound of the humming low hanging lights above us. With nothing to do, patiently, I propped myself against the wall and waited for Nic to come back out of the room, my only company being the crumbs that littered the floor and water stains that lined the hallway.

_We really should fix this place up..._

Naturally, no sooner had I thought of how messy this place was, Nic came out of the spare room, closing the door behind him where Alder was undoubtedly getting ready for bed.

“ _Does he need anything? Extra clothes?_ ”

“He said he’s going to go into town when he wakes up to buy some stuff he needs. Toothbrush, clothes, whatever.”

“ _You didn’t offer to drive him, I hope?_ ”

Nic had a small, guilty smile curl on his lips, “Maybe.” He shrugged.

I sighed heavily, “ _So much for a vacation..._ ”

“Hey, it’s still Friday, remember?”

_Don’t remind me..._

“So, where’d Dave go?”

“ _Where do you think?_ ” I began, grabbing him by the arm and pulling him into the coffee room, “Come, we have some explaining to do for him.”

“Do we have to do it **now**?” He asked in a hushed tone.

“ _If you don’t, then **I** will._” I responded with a scowl. A worried look washed over his face as small beads of sweat began to pool at the edge of his hairline.

“Fine... Let’s get this over with, I guess.” Nic resigned, pulling his arm from my grasp and walking into the room with me following shortly behind. Dread filled the air around Nic despite his outwardly cheery expression, dragging his feet at the idea of potentially angering him.

“Dave!” Nic practically shouted with fake glee. With no words to say, Dave merely turned around, leaning against the counter as the last bits of coffee began to drip into the container.

“Listen, there’s something we need to tell you, it’s important.”

“ _I’m listening._ ” He stated, pulled the container from the machine.

“So... we were tasked with finding the location of a statue by prying it out of some kid at the PD.”

Dave nodded, beginning to take a sip from the container.

“Well, the PD found the statue, and Alder there was the one who needed it stolen. I’ll spare you the details, but the statue was just a vessel to smuggle something.”

Dave pressured Nic to spit it out by waving his hand at him as he proceeded to start chugging the contents of the container.

"Now, you have to promise not to get angry, okay?"

" _We'll see._ " Dave responded without even an acknowledgement of Nic's request.

“Well, that something...” Nic began, taking in a big breath, “Was a master ball.”

Like some scene out of the movie, Dave immediately began to choke on his coffee, coughing and spitting up droplets that landed on both mine and Nic’s face. So violent was his reaction that he didn’t even put the pot down properly, dropping it on to the counter where the contents began to pool across the counter and drip down onto the rug.

“ _Say **what**!?_” His psychic scream was so loud it caused a sharp ringing in my head, which is not to say in the least it sent Nic stumbling into the wall as he tightly gripped his ears.

“I said that it-” Nic began talking again, before he was cut short by Dave reaching out and firmly grabbing Nic by the neck, hoisting him up into the air.

“ _Tell me you have it._ ”

“I... don’t...” Nick responded, struggling against the forceful fingers that were wrapped around his throat.

“ _ **Useless!**_ ” He screamed again, slamming him into the fridge so fiercely, the plastic on the front cracked. His soul, calm just a moment ago, was now a heated wildfire keen on burning everything around it. Desperately gasping for breath, he began to claw at the fridge door and at Dave’s hands.

“ _Where the hell is it!?_ ” He continued, putting his face mere centimeters from Nic’s face.

" _It’s at the PD, Dave! Calm down!_ ”

His eyes, irises now turned into a tantalizing ruby red, stared directly into my soul.

“ _That doesn’t do us much good here now, does it!?_ ”

Still struggling, Nic began to kick his feet in some desperate attempt to break free from his iron grip, choking as his face began to turn red.

“ _Why the hell did you not secure it!?_ ”

“Chief... There...”

“ _The police chief has it under lock and key! Stop this nonsense!_ ”

With a stern look, I returned Dave’s hostile glare in kind.

“ _Don’t make a scene of this._ ” I pressed. Staring to Nic and then back at me, he growled like a mightyena defending its den.

“ _Put him down. Now._ ” I ordered calmly.

His eyes bounced back and forth from me to Nic, before letting out an audible huff. He closed his eyes, calming the tempered anger within him, releasing Nic from his grasp. Nic was so choked for air that he slumped down to the floor in a coughing fit as he desperately filled his lungs with air again. Dave opened his eyes, the red tinge of his iris now replaced with their dull brown color as he stared down upon Nic as he caught his breath.

"Fucking hell man...”

Slowly, I levitated over to Dave, placing my hand on his shoulder. A slight tinge of guilt coated his face as he looked toward me in that moment, knowing full well he had gone overboard. Slowly, I rested my forehead on his temple, the residual heat from his anger permeating the air that surrounded him.

“ _Basement. Locker 394, the one with the rusted hinges._ ”

Like rain over hot embers, the fiery smog that surrounded him began to slowly cool, ushering in a slight breeze from the door. In a short moment, he pried himself from me and offered to help Nic up off the floor.

“ _Sorry._ ”

“Next time... a little warning before your little outbursts would be appreciated.” Nic remarked sarcastically as he walked slowly out of the room. Even as Nic remarked his displeasure, Dave did nothing but stare at the counter as he left, offering no response. Like a cold and unmoving statue, he remained standing there for a few moments, looking over the mess he had caused.

“ _You really should work on your anger issues._ ”

He cast me an odd glare, before pulling some paper towels from the rack, wiping some of the coffee off the carpet and counter.

“ _I know._ ”

“ _What would your folks back home think?_ ”

He stopped in his tracks, and let out a deep sigh.

“ _Nothing good._ ”

" _Exactly. At least **try** to work on it. If not for me, then for them._”

Frozen, he returned to staring at the counter, his mind lost in deep contemplation that I could make no sense of.

“ _Yeah..._ ”

“ _Even still though, your frustration is not unfounded._ ”

He offered no response, opting to focus on cleaning up the mess as fast as possible.

“ _A masterball in the wrong hands could spell disaster for either of us._ ”

“ _I don’t think **you’re** the one that has to worry about that._”

I let out a slight huff, “ _Yeah, but you know how I can be though._ ”

Quiet still, he threw the pile of coffee ridden paper towel into the trash can, followed by immediately making another pot.

“ _You should probably stop drinking so much of that stuff, too._ ”

“ _Okay mom._ ” He responded sarcastically.

“ _Hey, just trying to help._ ”

“ _Thanks..._ ”

He placed the pot into its place as the warm brown liquid began to drip down.

“ _But seriously though, thanks._ ”

“ _Hm?_ ”

“ _I can’t imagine Nic was particularly fond of sharing these developments with me._ ”

“ _Not in the slightest._ ”

“ _Well..._ ” He started, staring at the machine as the coffee dripped from the chamber above, “ _At least I can count on you._ ”

We stood there with small smiles on our faces, a brief moment of camaraderie for the two of us. Dave may have a short temper, but he’s trustworthy, and kind to the right people; my only wish was that he was like that with more people that he was around. I don’t necessarily blame him for being wary and sour, especially considering his upbringing, but seeing him smile was a rarity worth taking a picture of, and our office could use more of it.

“ _You should smile more._ ”

“ _Why’s that?_ ” He asked, wiping the small smirk from his face.

I shrugged, “ _You look cute when you smile._ ”

“ _Your charming words don’t work on me, darling._ ”

“ _It’s no attempt at flattery. I mean it. Sincerely._ ”

He cast a suspicious glare, wary of my words as he brought the steaming hot pot of coffee to his mouth and began drinking it.

“ _My mentor wouldn’t take too kindly to me flirting with the likes of you, you know._ ”

“ _Well your mentor isn’t here now, is he?_ ” I winked, causing him to chuckle slightly. Putting the half-empty coffee pot on to the table, he began to stretch his shoulders and twist his neck.

“ _You know, if it weren’t for the fact that I-_ ”

His words were cut short as the silence in the room was shattered by the sound of breaking glass. So loud and sudden it was, that it caused both of us to jolt up in surprise as the sound echoed from the main waiting area.

“ _What the hell was that?_ ” He asked, placing his coffee down and running out into the hall.

“ _We’re about to find out..._ ” I responded, running behind him. Ahead of us was Nic, who was in the main waiting area, yelling obscenities out the window over the sound of squealing tires. Frustrated, he punched the wall nearest him when we reached the main waiting area where the carpet was coated in a thin layer of shattered glass that shimmered under the overhead lights.

“ _What was that!?_ ”

“Someone threw a goddamn brick through our fucking window!” He complained, pulling the curtains closed to keep the cold rainwater from soaking the inside.

“ _I’ll find them._ ” Dave stated sternly, running towards the front door.

“No you don’t have to-”

Before Nic could even finish his sentence, the door had already slammed shut and Dave was outside in the rain, shaded under the cover of night and cloud from our vision.

“Do that...”

“ _You know him._ ”

“Yeah... unfortunately.” Nic sighed, leaning over and picking up the brick. A confused look fell over his face as he investigated it, pulling something from a set of strings that was tied around it.

“Someone’s sending a message...” He stated, gently pulling a note from the brick and giving it a quick read over. His eyes went wide as he let out a loud sigh.

“ _What is it?_ ”

“Just...” He began, shaking his head, “Just take a look at this. Ridiculous...”

Holding out the note, I snatched it from his hand, unfolding it to the sight of a letter, hastily plastered together with glued words and phrases from magazines and newspapers.

**For the Esteemed Nic and Company**  
We know what you’re doing. We’re watching you.  
If you value your company and your life, you will cease your work with the Police Chief.  
We trust you will make the right decision. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well friends, here it is, the conclusion to what I will call the prologue of Gardenoir. I apologize if these last few chapters feel rushed, as they have been given the start of my school semester. Regardless, my plans for this will be put on hold in favor of my other piece, Ranger's Oath, that I'm looking to slowly update as I finish editing the chapters. However, I'm not shelving this for good, and I actually have a few idea floating around for what I want to do with Gardenoir, but that will be some time down the road. Most likely, I will have it be a collection of stories about the length as this part broken up into roughly 10 chapters each, but this is just a rough idea of what I want to do with it. I really do like the idea of this type of story, but I'm putting it on hold mostly because I don't think I can give this story the love it really deserves when I'm already juggling a bunch of other stuff.  
> With that being said, I wish you all well and happy reading, be it my stories or any others.


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